Trio Of Championship Clubs Interested In Exeter City Defender

Exeter defender, Josh Key, is being monitored by a trio of Championship sides, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider.

The 23-year-old’s contract is up at St James Park this summer and will be moving on to pastures new this summer. Key made 42 appearances in League One last season and was in the starting lineup on 38 occasions.

The youngster would help Exeter to a 14th place finish in their first season back in the third tier and would also play an integral part in the Exeter side which gained automatic promotion the season prior. Now departing the Grecians, Key looks set to test the waters in the second tier, with a trio of clubs fighting for his signature.

Who is Josh Key?

A product of the Exeter academy, Key made his debut in 2018 and has racked up 148 appearances for the Grecians since. The 23-year-old also gained experience with non-league sides Bideford and Tiverton Town before breaking into the first team in the 2020/21 season. Key is extremely versatile and has played across both the back line and midfield for Exeter since turning pro. That versatility will be a huge asset to whoever signs him this summer, and still aged just 23, there is no doubt more to come. Although Key may not have any experience in the Championship as of yet, it is expected that he will be able to make the step up.

Who is interested?

A trio of Championship sides are currently interested in the 23-year-old, with Swansea currently leading the race. The Welsh side have reportedly made an offer for the defender, but terms are yet to be agreed. However, it will not be that easy for the Swans to gain Key’s signature, with both West Brom and Plymouth also interested. Plymouth would make sense geographically for Key, however he may not want to join Exeter’s biggest rivals. As for West Brom, they will want to be adding some new faces to the side this summer in their pursuit of a return to the Premier League. For Key, he would probably get more game time at Plymouth however Swansea and West Brom seem to both have far higher aspirations.

Writer’s view

After the last few seasons Key has shown himself as a consistent and dependable player for Exeter and at just 23, still has plenty more to come. He would fit into all three sides and Swansea are obviously interested and look the likeliest landing spot at the minute. Key would potentially start as a rotational player but I’d certainly expect him to challenge for a starting spot throughout the season.

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