Blackpool FC: Neil Critchley drops Middlesbrough transfer hint | OneFootball

Neil Critchley has revealed that Blackpool are looking at bringing in Middlesbrough loanee Hayden Coulson permanently this summer.

The Orange Army's attempt to regain their Championship status at the first attempt hasn't gone as well as they may have hoped.

They still have a chance of making the play-offs, but they would need at least two of the three teams above them (Barnsley, Lincoln City and Oxford United) to drop points on the final day of the season, in order to give themselves a chance of finishing inside the top six.

The 2023/24 campaign has by no means been a failure though. Sure, some would have expected the former second tier side to have been a lock for the play-offs, but the squad that they went into the season with wasn't an overwhelmingly strong one, and they have been very dependent on some of their loan signings.

One temporary Tangerine, Jordan Rhodes, is the club's leading scorer this season (15). Another, Karamoko Dembélé, has the most combined goals and assists in the league for Blackpool since joining (20).

But there is one other loan signing, Coulson, who has caught the eye of the hierarchy of Bloomfield Road, without all the dazzling stats to back his case.

Neil Critchley's Hayden Coulson transfer admission

The former Queens Park Rangers boss reflected on the impact that his loan signings have had on Blackpool this season, and revealed that the club are looking to bring Coulson, among others, back to the club in the summer.

"[The loanees] have made a huge difference," said the 45-year-old, to the Blackpool Gazette. "Hayden has been fantastic.

"That’s the discussions we’ve been having [can they sign them permanently in the summer], we’re always planning ahead.

"With loan players, their parent clubs have something to say, and when they play well, you get interest from elsewhere. They’re not our players so it’s out of our hands.

"They’ve all contributed and shown their value to the club. They’ve also shown what good people they are and how much they’ve enjoyed playing here, so it’s definitely something we will look at when the season ends."

Critchley continued to heap praise on Dembélé, who joined from French club Stade Brest in the summer window.

: "You look at where Kaddy was when he first got here, and where he is now with his contribution- it’s outstanding in my opinion. I think he’s going to be an outstanding player in the future. I wouldn’t swap him for any other attacking player in this league."

Returning loanees will be safe bets for Blackpool

Bringing back loan players who have performed well for you in recent times is usually quite a sure bet. They know the club, the manager, the fans, the area, and vice versa.

You don't have that risk of them worrying about settling in the area, or whether there are going to be issues with distance, and things of that nature, because, if there are any problems like that, then they will already be known about.

So getting the likes of Coulson, Dembélé and Rhodes, who is out of contract at the end of the season, back would be a good thing. But there would be issues in these deals.

Teesside Live expect that Boro would be open to selling their 25-year-old to Blackpool in the summer, but they might struggle to match the wages that he was paid by his parent club. This could be a similar issue with their top scorer.

A deal for Dembélé would be tough for other reasons. He may well want to make a permanent return to the U.K., but will Brest be happy to let a potential star go for a cheap fee? Probably not.

Hurdles will become quickly apparent with these attempted moves, but bringing back successful loanees is as close as you will get to a guarantee with any transfer in football.