Notts County have joined the race alongside Northampton Town to sign Former FC Halifax Town defender Jesse Debrah, according to journalist Alan Nixon via his Patreon.
The centre-back, who recently departed the Shaymen, has been heavily targeted by EFL clubs after the expiration of his contract at The Shay Stadium, with Barnsley originally being the club leading the pack.
However, it’s been reported that recently promoted Notts County are now trying to intercept the transfer and lure Debrah away from a potential move to Oakwell for a move to Nottingham, with League One outfit Northampton Town also taking a strong interest in the player.
Despite clear intentions from Barnsley to make this move happen with persistent interest spanning months, there could be a sudden twist in the tale if Debrah was to make a move elsewhere.
What’s been said?
As we know, the predominant club at the front of the Debrah saga has been Barnsley, with Halifax boss Chris Millington saying to Halifax Courier following the departure of Debrah:
“We haven’t heard anything officially as to where he’s going but we’re hearing strong rumours from all kinds of sources that it’ll be Barnsley, so that’s my expectation.”
However, it has now been reported by journalist Alan Nixon that:
“Barnsley’s bid to sign centre half Jesse Debrah faces a late challenge from Notts County and Northampton Town.
“The Oakwell outfit have been leading the chase for the Halifax defender, but EFL new boys County are trying to intercept, while the Cobblers are keen.”
Who is Jesse Debrah?
Jesse Debrah is a former Halifax Town centre-half, who majorly impressed clubs and fans with his performances last season in the National League.
Despite playing the last two seasons with Halifax Town, he started his career in the Millwall U21 team, which included a loan move to Billericay Town back in 2019.
He made another loan move to Dulwich Hamlet the following season from Millwall, before signing for The Hamlet permanently in 2020.
It was the following season that Debrah made the step up to the National League, signing for Halifax Town in 2021. The defender went on to make over 60 appearances for The Shaymen, as well as being a big part of their FA Trophy winning side.
Last season, he captained Halifax on numerous occasions, making 33 appearances in the National League and helping them achieve the fifth-best defence in the league, despite finishing 11th in the table.
Writer’s View
Debrah is destined for the EFL and there’s no question about that at all. Obviously, Barnsley and Northampton Town are a bigger club than Notts and will be playing at a higher level next season, but surely the project of Notts County is an attractive proposal for any young player. Debrah would fit perfectly in a Notts eleven, especially if they are to continue implementing a back-five approach.
If Notts were able to pull this off, this would be one of the signings of the season. A huge statement considering the signings already made by The Magpies.
Northampton and Barnsley are both League One sides that have that pull for them, with likely larger budgets and more to spend on contracts, which is obviously very important for players, especially those lower down the pyramid and in that sense, Notts may not be able to compete.
I’m very excited to see how this goes, with nothing being certain at the moment.
