Football League World
·1 July 2024
Football League World
·1 July 2024
James Beadle is set to seal a loan return to Hillsborough, with the Owls and the Seagulls striking an agreement.
The Owls have made a very productive start to the summer window, recruiting a number of first-teamers in their quest to achieve a solid league finish under Danny Rohl next term.
This quick start was much needed considering the number of players that have left the South Yorkshire club.
Ben Hamer, Max Lowe, Svante Ingelsson and Jamal Lowe have all arrived on free transfers - and Yan Valery has made the move from French side Angers for an undisclosed fee.
There's still plenty of work to be done though, with more depth required in central defence and more options needed in the final third to make Rohl's side a team to be feared.
And with the likes of Will Vaulks, George Byers and Tyreeq Bakinson all leaving Hillsborough on the expiration of their deals, they don't have a huge number of central midfield options at their disposal either.
According to Nixon, Beadle is set to re-sign for the Owls today (Monday).
He will join on a second loan deal, and the young stopper looks set to compete with new signing Hamer for a starting place between the sticks.
At this stage, he looks to be the favourite to start on the opening day of the campaign against Plymouth Argyle and that would be a boost for the young stopper, who needs as much game time under his belt as possible in his quest to develop.
Wednesday fans may have been nervous about the possibility of Oxford United potentially re-entering the race to sign their former loanee Beadle, having seen him shine at the Kassam Stadium during the first half of last term.
The U's promotion may have put them in a good position to get a loan deal over the line, even with the permanent signing of Jamie Cumming, but Beadle is closing in on another switch to Hillsborough.
With the player enjoying his time in South Yorkshire last term, it's no surprise to see him return, with the keeper being allowed to leave the Amex Stadium again despite the fact some of the Seagulls' other keepers are attracting interest.
This is an agreement that could work out well for all parties.
With Beadle and Cameron Dawson leaving since the end of last term, they needed another shot-stopper and re-signing the former is a good move, with the keeper showing plenty of promise during his first loan spell at Hillsborough.
For Brighton, this is also a good agreement because Beadle has a decent chance of securing regular starts next term, which will only help his development.
And for the player, he should have the opportunity to impress in the Championship again, this time for a full season.
If he can impress next term, he could be part of Brighton's first team during the 2025/26 campaign and beyond.