Player set for Blackpool return | OneFootball

Blackpool are set to add another body to their squad this month but it won’t be an unfamiliar one, with Jordan Thorniley set to return to the club from Oxford as reported by LancsLive.

He’s played just 21 times for Blackpool in the league during his career and even though the majority of those appearances came in their promotion-winning campaign last year, he has been allowed to leave the club on loan this term.

It’s meant that he has been back in the third tier since the summer, plying his trade for Oxford. With the League One club, he has managed to help them get towards the play-off places and has featured rather regularly for Karl Robinson’s team.

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However, even though they have fared without him up to this point, it looks like his time at Oxford might be coming to an end soon. That’s because Blackpool have the option to cancel his season-long loan deal this month – and according to LancsLive, they plan to do just that before the window closes.

This could be just a bargaining tool by the Seasiders though, as they remain keen to sign Cameron Brannagan from the third tier outfit. By bringing back one of their most important players, it could convince them to do business as part of a deal that would see Thorniley go back to the League One team.

It may work in their favour too, as Oxford won’t want to lose the defender midway through a play-off campaign – although they also won’t want to lose Brannagan.

They may be resigned to losing at least one of them then – and they’ll have to choose which one.

Jordan Thorniley has certainly played more for Oxford this year than he probably would have managed for Blackpool.

He’s looked solid back in League One and he can certainly be a top defender at that level, as he has proved in both this season and the last one. The Seasiders could potentially use him upon recalling him, as there is no reason why he couldn’t do a decent enough job a division higher.

However, it seems as though it might just be a move to try and convince Oxford to part ways with their real target of Brannagan. The midfielder is a real talent and Blackpool landing him would be a great move – even if it means losing Thorniley.

The defender though is clearly not in their plans too much, as they were willing to let him leave on loan in the first place. If letting go of him means bringing in Brannagan, then it appears to be a sacrifice they are willing to make – and this could be the first part of the plan in trying to secure him.