Bradford City have surely struck gold with Stockport County swoop - where's the catch? | OneFootball

Bradford City may have hit the jackpot with the signing of former Stockport County defender Ibou Touray.

Bradford City are preparing for life back in League One after winning promotion from League Two last season.

It looked set to be another season of frustration for Bradford as they sat as low as 12th in the League Two table in late December, but a strong second half of the campaign saw them emerge as automatic promotion contenders.

The Bantams' form declined towards the end of the season as they won just three of their final 11 games, but they sealed their place in the top three in dramatic fashion as Antoni Sarcevic scored a 96th-minute winner against Fleetwood Town on the final day, ending the club's six-year spell in the fourth tier.

Bradford manager Graham Alexander has wasted no time in strengthening his squad for League One, with four new signings arriving already this summer in Curtis Tilt, Joe Wright, Max Power and Josh Neufville, while he has made big calls in releasing some key members of the club's promotion-winning squad, including captain Richie Smallwood and midfielder Jamie Walker.

It may have been a busy start to the summer at the University of Bradford Stadium, but the Bantams are showing no sign of slowing down with their transfer activity, with another new arrival expected imminently.

Bradford City closing in on signing of former Stockport County star

Having brought in two new centre-backs and a defensive midfielder this summer, it is clear that bolstering the core of the team has been a priority for Alexander ahead of Bradford's return to League One.

Defensive organisation was a big part of the Bantams' rise up the League Two table last season, with Alexander's men keeping an impressive nine clean sheets in just 12 games between January and March, but that solidity deserted them towards the end of the campaign as their automatic promotion push faltered.

Bradford conceded five goals in a crazy 5-4 defeat at Swindon Town in April, while they also conceded three against Chesterfield and two against Port Vale and Doncaster Rovers, which may have acted as a warning to Alexander about the need for defensive reinforcements ahead of the upcoming season in the third tier.

After the signings of Tilt and Wright, journalist Alan Nixon claims the Bantams are closing in on another defensive addition in the form of Ibou Touray, who was released by Stockport County at the end of his contract this summer.

Touray helped the Hatters to a third-placed finish in their first season back in League One last term, and Bradford are said to have moved quickly to secure his signature after his departure from Edgeley Park, with a deal expected to be concluded by the weekend.

One of the biggest tasks for Alexander this summer was to find a replacement for Tayo Adaramola, who starred for Bradford in the second half of last season after joining on loan from Crystal Palace, providing three assists in 16 appearances.

If the Bantams were unable to secure Adaramola's return, many assumed that Lewis Richards would take his place at left-back, and the 23-year-old is set to sign a new contract with the club despite reportedly attracting interest from Stockport.

However, Richards was plagued by injury at times last season, so it seems that Alexander has opted to strengthen his left-back options, and in Touray, he may have found the perfect upgrade.

Touray has played under Alexander previously at Salford City, with the pair winning promotion from the National League during their time working together in the 2018-19 season, and the defender got on the scoresheet in the Ammies' 3-0 victory over AFC Fylde in the play-off final at Wembley.

After an impressive six-year spell at the Peninsula Stadium during which he scored 10 goals and provided 31 assists in 269 games, Touray made the move to Stockport in the summer of 2023, and he went on to enjoy even more success at Edgeley Park.

Touray was part of the Hatters squad that won the League Two title in the 2023-24 campaign before registering three assists in 50 appearances for Dave Challinor's side in League One last season, and he started both legs of their play-off semi-final against Leyton Orient as they were knocked out on penalties.

Given that Touray was such a crucial part of the side, Stockport's decision not to offer the Gambia international a contract extension raised a few eyebrows, but their surprise call has opened the door for Bradford to swoop, and they are getting a player who has certainly proven himself in the third tier over the past 12 months.

It is difficult to see any negatives to the signing of Touray as he is strong both defensively and offensively, and having thrived under Alexander previously, the Bantams boss will be hoping he can get the best out of him again next season.