Bristol City are believed to be plotting a move for Huddersfield Town striker Joe Taylor, but only if the price is right.
Sources have informed Football Lowdown that Taylor, who netted 18 times across spells with Huddersfield and Wigan last season, is one of the first names on new Bristol City manager Michael Skubala’s wish list, as he steps into the post this week. Taylor played for Lincoln City under Skubala and is eager for a chance to impress in the Championship.
Alan Nixon has reported this morning that Huddersfield are open to a transfer, but would want a return on their investment. The fee was reported to be close to the £3m mark, but the up-front fee is believed to have been lower, and it may take as little as £2m to prise him away from West Yorkshire.
Taylor came through the Norwich City academy before rebuilding his career with King’s Lynn Town, where a productive loan spell at Wroxham helped put him back on the radar. That form earned him a move to Peterborough United, where he stepped into the senior game, before Luton Town took him on and he became part of the squad that won promotion to the Premier League through the Championship play-offs.
His reputation exploded with two loan spells in the 2023/24 season. The first, with Colchester United, saw him bag 11 in 25 League Two games. He then joined Skubala’s Lincoln and bagged 10 in 19, pushing them to the brink of the play-offs.
That spell helped lead to a permanent move to Huddersfield Town, where he scored seven in the early part of this season, although he was later loaned to Wigan Athletic. He thrived there, netting 11 goals and once again, grabbing the attention of scouts from across the country.
In March, Preston North End and Oxford United were credited with an interest in the striker, but the latter’s relegation may make it difficult for them to afford the fee. Bristol City are a new name at the table, but with the Skubala connection, the attraction is obvious.
Huddersfield have suffered by playing Taylor in the wrong way, either up top on his own, on the right wing, or often with his back to goal. Wigan got their rewards by playing him as an out-and-out nine, supported by two tight tens behind, allowing him space to run off the shoulder of the defender.
That’s the same approach which won him plaudits at Lincoln, as part of a fast-paced, transitional attacking side. Skubala has already lost forward Sinclair Armstrong prior to starting, and is also in the market for a new number nine following Fally Mayulu’s exit in February.
