Huddersfield Town should swoop for 21-goal EFL forward following Alfie May snub: View | OneFootball

The Newport County striker was one of the highest scorers in League Two during the 23/24 campaign

Huddersfield Town have already started to set out their stall ahead of the upcoming League One campaign, as the Terriers get used to life back in the third tier after suffering Championship relegation last term.

Michael Duff has already added four new signings to the squad he inherited earlier in the summer, as the former Barnsley boss took over from the departing Andre Breitenreiter following the German's brief stint at the John Smith’s Stadium.

Wing-backs Mickel Miller and Lasse Sorensen have joined the Yorkshire side from Plymouth Argyle and Lincoln City respectively, clearly showing what kind of system Duff will be deploying, while Herbie Kane joins up with his old boss after moving from Barnsley.

Antony Evans is the latest to join Town’s plans for the next 12 months after joining from Bristol Rovers, although the one high-profile target they missed out on may be the one that they would have wanted the most.

Town looked close to wrapping up a deal for 2023/24 League One top scorer Alfie May earlier in the transfer window, with the 23-goal Charlton Athletic ace looking set to move to Yorkshire in a reported £750,000 deal.

But a last-minute approach from rivals Birmingham City put paid to that move happening, as the Blues trumped the Terriers offer with a £775,000 bid, to land the former Cheltenham Town man ahead of the 2024/25 season.

Both recently relegated Championship sides will be looking to bounce back to the second tier at the earliest opportunity, and Town will now have to go back to the drawing board and search for a player that can find the back of the net on a regular basis.

Huddersfield owner Kevin Nagle has recently spoken out about the mooted transfer of May, as he offered the latest update to supporters via his X account.

The Terriers chief said: “I’ll say this much. The club that got him, they weren’t even thinking about him four days before that.

“I think what I’m impressed with is they’re kind of watching what we were doing. They actually targeted at least one, maybe two other players that we did sign.

"I’ve been impressed by the fact that that club is looking at our recruitment team, and seeing what kind of moves we’re making. “What I’m going to say is we’re not going to pay what that person got paid. There were a lot of rumours that went out on it, I’m not going to validate that, but it’s not fair to our players in the locker room.

“He was paid an extraordinary amount, if you look to see what his history was, it just didn’t make [sense]. Now maybe he’ll turn out to be great, and I hope he does, just not against Town.”

Huddersfield Town should turn to Newport County striker Will Evans after Alfie May disappointment

With the reported figures posted around the failed May transfer, Town obviously have the cash to splash this summer, meaning they can wave wads of money around to lower league sides in an attempt to lure their prized assets to Yorkshire.

Newport County are one such club that could do with a cash influx this summer, with the Welsh side posting losses close to £1 million for the last full financial year back in April.

New owner Huw Jenkins has spoken of the need to sort the financial matters out at the club he took over earlier this year, and the selling of a key player could help to balance the books at Rodney Parade past the summer.

With that in mind, Town could find themselves a bargain buy in the fourth tier this summer, with striker Will Evans notching 21 league goals to help his side’s efforts in maintaining their status as a Football League side.

With eight goals in his first seven games of the season, Evans came flying out the blocks in the 23/24 campaign, with a run that included eye-catching braces against Doncaster Rovers and Forest Green Rovers.

As well as bagging on a regular basis in the league for County, Evans also made the headlines in January of this year, as he scored his side’s second goal to draw level with Manchester United in the FA Cup, before the Red Devils went on to win 4-2.

The Exiles were said to have turned down bids for Evans in January, as Jenkins made his early intentions as owner clear in wanting to keep hold of his top talent, but six months on, Town could look to lure him to Yorkshire.

The frontman currently has a deal until 2025 at Rodney Parade, and as he enters the final year of his contract, his current side may have to cash in this summer to avoid losing him on a free transfer.

That situation could play into Huddersfield’s hands this summer, as they look to put the May debacle behind them, and set their sights on another target who can help fire them back to the second tier next season.

There are of course other potential targets out there, and it wouldn't be a shock to see Duff put the feelers out to reunite with Devante Cole, who is a free agent after his exit from Barnsley, where he had a strong League One campaign in 2023-24 with 18 goals scored.

Evans though, despite being 27 years of age, looks to be a late bloomer, and given the right service he could be prolific for Town, and surely a bid of around the £500,000 mark would get a deal done for the Welshman.