Bristol City exploits may have Huddersfield Town dreaming of £1.3m deal
In just a single year, Huddersfield Town transitioned from Championship underdogs to play-off champions, making
their ascent to the Premier League absolutely remarkable.
The Terriers made their first appearance in the top level of English football since 1972 when they defeated Reading
on penalties at Wembley Stadium in May 2017.
Even though the final matchup with the Royals was mainly uneventful, the West Yorkshire team’s season-long trip
was impressive, and they eventually earned that vital promotion under David Wagner’s leadership.
But if they hadn’t paid Bradford City a reputed £1.3 million three years earlier to get Huddersfield’s then number 21
player, things might have turned out entirely differently. He is still scoring goals for another team almost eight years
after leaving, and the deal turned out to be a masterstroke.
Nahki Wells was influential for Huddersfield during his time at the John Smith’s Stadium
Nahki Wells scored 14 goals in 19 games for the Bantams, earning him a promotion from League One to the Championship in January 2014.
Even though moving from the third division to the second was always going to be challenging, the
forward didn’t display any signs of nervousness in his first three games, scoring two goals and dishing out an assist after barely making his debut.
Even with 17 goals from Wells, Huddersfield struggled to climb the league rankings. At John Smith’s Stadium,
Wagner took over, sating the desire for more despite the fact that they had once again advanced through the second
tier.
Since the start of 2016–17, the Terriers have positioned themselves as a team that could contend for promotion. Even
though their play slowed down towards the end of the season, they had three clean sheets in their three postseason
games, demonstrating superb defence.
At the end of the season, Wells had ten goals, but his penalty kick helped the Yorkshire team win the play-off final.
Despite having 17 goals from Wells, Huddersfield found it difficult to move up the league standings. Wagner took
over at John Smith’s Stadium, satisfying the craving for more even though they had once again managed to make it
through the second division.
From the beginning of 2016–17, the Terriers presented themselves as a squad who would be in the running for
promotion. Despite a decline in performance towards the conclusion of the season, they played excellent defence in
the playoffs, with three clean sheets in their three games.
Wells finished the season with ten goals, but he helped lead the Yorkshire team to victory in the play-off final with
his penalty kick.
Nahki Wells Huddersfield Town Championship stats (TransferMarkt)
Season
Apps
Goals
Assists
2013/14
22
7
2
2014/15
35
11
4
2015/16
44
17
4
2016/17
43
10
3
Nahki Wells continues to impress in his later years at Championship level with Bristol City
After promotion was guaranteed, the striker left Huddersfield for better opportunities and gave his old team a
substantial profit.
The Bermuda international was purchased by Burnley for £5 million, but he had a difficult time at Turf Moor. After
moving south to QPR, he eventually joined Bristol City, where he has been scoring goals in the Championship ever
since.
With more than 400 appearances in the level, Wells has a stellar goal record in the second division, and his influence on it is undeniable.
Fans of Huddersfield will still remember the times when he was scoring goals for the Terriers, though, and they might wonder what would happen if he followed them into the Premier League.
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