Charlton Athletic may have handed Northampton Town a Marc Leonard replacement | OneFootball

Discarded midfielder can re-find form at Northampton.

Northampton Town have beaten off competition to sign Charlton Athletic's Terry Taylor on loan for the remainder of the 2024/25 season.

Stevenage, Shrewsbury Town, Cambridge United and Bolton Wanderers were all reportedly interested in taking the 23-year-old this month, but Cobblers have won the race for the midfielder.

Taylor becomes Kevin Nolan's second January addition to the club, following ex-Celtic midfielder Liam Shaw, who signed from Fleetwood Town in the opening week of the window.

The former Wolves midfielder signed for the Addicks in the summer of 2023 from Burton Albion for an undisclosed fee, but has only gone on to feature 21 times at the Valley and has fallen out of favour with manager Nathan Jones.

Since the departure of Marc Leonard for Birmingham City last summer, it is no secret that Northampton have struggled in the middle of the park. However, this may not be an issue for much longer as Taylor provides a like-for-like replacement for the fellow Scotsman and is likely to pair with another new addition in Shaw, who has impressed so far.

Cobblers manager, Nolan, was delighted that Taylor elected to join Northampton over fellow League One strugglers after he spent the weekend deliberating where to sign.

He told the Northampton Chronicle & Echo: "We are really pleased to welcome Terry to the club, there has been a lot of interest in him and a lot of clubs have been linked with him, but he has chosen Northampton Town and that's fantastic.

"We think he can come in and help us. He is a very good passer of the ball, he can create things, he can get around the pitch well and he enjoys a tackle and that side of the game too.

"Our thanks are due to the board of directors again for backing us in the transfer market. This is a signing we are delighted to make and a step in the right direction for us."

Terry Taylor is an exciting addition for Northampton

Given his talent, there is no wonder why so many clubs were chasing the Scotsman after he was listed for loan by Charlton.

Northampton have lacked options in midfield this season, Matt Dibley-Dias' loan move from Fulham didn't work out as planned, and Ben Fox and Jack Sowerby have struggled with injuries again this season.

Samy Chouchane has impressed in flashes but has struggled to see out games, while Will Hondermarck remains inconsistent.

Nolan's midfield has looked stronger in recent weeks with the addition of Shaw, but the signing of Taylor should significantly uplift the midfield unit if he plays anywhere close to the level he did with Burton.

The absence of Leonard this season has significantly impacted the control Northampton can hold in the middle of the park, but Taylor possesses a similar skill set and could fill this void to help Cobblers stay in League One for another season.

The 23-year-old is comfortable dropping deep to collect the ball off the centre-backs and distribute it up the pitch and possesses quality on the ball, something Cobblers have struggled with this season and was evident last weekend against Lincoln City.

Northampton move creates an opportunity for Taylor to reignite career

A former Scotland and Wales youth international, Taylor, came through the ranks at Wolverhampton Wanderers and made his first-team debut for the Premier League outfit against Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup in October 2019.

A loan move to Grimsby Town followed in September 2020, making 14 appearances, before a permanent switch to Burton Albion in February 2021.

Taylor impressed in his one-and-a-half-year stint with the Brewers, attracting the attention of Charlton, who forked out £150k in compensation to sign the highly-rated midfielder at the expiration of his Burton contract.

However, an ankle injury which required surgery in October 2023 led to Taylor only making seven appearances last season and moved him down the pecking order under Jones.

Despite his stalling start to life in South London, a few seasons ago Taylor was among the very best in League One in his role at Burton, who were in a similar position then as Northampton are now.

Taylor will likely partner with Shaw at the base of Nolan's midfield, another player who stacked up well alongside Taylor and Leonard on data-driven metrics for defensive midfielders.

Nolan's regime at Northampton places emphasis on players expressing themselves, a freedom Taylor may have felt he wasn't afforded playing under Jones at Charlton and one that could get his career back on the correct trajectory.

The only concern facing Taylor upon his move to Cobblers is his ankle, which required surgery during his time at Charlton, but should that issue be behind him, he looks well-positioned for a successful few months at Sixfields.

If Taylor's time at Sixfields is successful, like Leonard, it is unlikely that he returns to the club in the future, but in their position, Cobblers simply can not pass up such a talented player, even if he is only at the club in the short-term.