Watford are on the cusp of signing Bradford City goalkeeper Sam Walker, with the Bantams already close to signing a replacement for the 34-year-old.
The shot-stopper has been a pivotal part of the Valley Parade club’s recent success, coming in as Harry Lewis’ successor following his sale to Carlisle United and has played 125 times since joining from Charlton Athletic.
Sale Expected, Replacement To Follow
However, Walker’s place in the City side has become a lot less certain, with the club recruiting Dundee goalkeeper Jon McCracken upon the expiry of his contract in Scotland, and has already won the battle to become the new number one, playing in their opening match of the season against Rochdale.
Speculation around the veteran’s future in West Yorkshire has since grown, and now, according to Simon Parker of the Telegraph and Argus, a deal is close to being reached with Watford to sell.
Speaking about Walker’s impending exit yesterday, Bantams manager Graham Alexander stated:
“I don’t know how far it’s gone along the line with signing. But it looks like he’ll be doing the deal tomorrow and we’ve potentially got somebody coming in tomorrow as well.
“If we were letting any players go, we’d have to have a replacement lined up and certainly in the goalkeeper area.
“Over the weekend I was contemplating what was potentially going on and how we could do the right thing by the club and get everything sorted.
“Nothing has been absolutely finalised yet but it should be a bit clearer within the next 24 hours.”
City have already sanctioned an exit for their third-choice option in Zac Hadi earlier in the window, who has joined Spennymoor Town on an initial one-month loan deal.
Wise Deal To Make
With Sam Walker being ousted by the incoming Jon McCracken at Bradford City, it seems that the club have now opted to move the former on to move closer to home with Watford.
The Hornets are in need of some more experienced depth options in their goalkeeping unit, and with Daniel Bachmann still set for a long spell on the sidelines following his injury while at Leyton Orient, signing the City man is a good choice.
Walker’s achievements at Valley Parade cannot be understated, joining a team that were underachieving to playing in every single league match over the past two seasons, and playing a massive role in their promotion from League Two.
While the identity of the new recruit to replace Walker is as yet unclear, it will likely be a back-up, and that should solidify McCracken’s place as the preferred choice for Graham Alexander for the coming season.
