Why Bradford City didn’t sign Nahki Wells revealed ahead of Luton Town reunion | OneFootball

The veteran striker was liked with a return to the Bantams, but Graham Alexander has now revealed why it didn’t happen

Veteran striker Nahki Wells was linked with a return to Bradford City over the summer, following their promotion to League One - but he headed to a divisional rival instead.

The 35-year-old played for the Bantams over a decade ago, before joining Huddersfield Town for £1.5m in 2014.

Wells was looking for a club following his release from Bristol City this summer and, according to a report from Alan Nixon via his Patreon, a return to Valley Parade was one option being considered.

It never came to fruition, the striker instead joining relegated Luton Town, and Bradford boss Graham Alexander has now revealed why the mooted move never came off.

Graham Alexander reveals why Nahki Wells signing was never likely for Bradford City

The rumoured interest has resurfaced again as Wells is set to face the Bantams in League One this week, turning out for Luton.

When asked about the striker by Bradford’s in-house media team, Alexander said: “We knew we could not sign a player of that calibre within our budget, or we could but it would mean we would play the season with 14 players!

“I heard the rumours myself, but the reality is we could not afford a player like that.”

With Wells boasting 424 games and 111 goals in the Championship alone on his CV, plus still being a full international for Bermuda, it’s not hard to imagine why he may be too expensive for a recently promoted League One side, even if it was a free transfer.

Nahki Wells’ wage at Bristol City was beyond Bradford City budget

Estimates of the striker’s wage under his old contract at Bristol City further back up Alexander’s claim.

According to Capology, it’s estimated that Wells was earning a staggering £27k per week under his old deal, making him the Robins’ highest-paid player last season.

To put that into perspective, the same website estimates that Birmingham City forward Jay Stansfield, one of the highest-profile signings the division has ever seen, earns £12.5k a week under the deal he signed last summer.

Wells may have been open to taking a pay cut as he reaches the twilight of his career, but a meeting point for a newly promoted League One side and an experienced Championship striker was always likely to be a stretch for a team like Bradford.

Early signs suggest Bradford City are fine without Nahki Wells signing

The Bantams may have come to regret not trying hard to sign Wells had they got off to a poor start in their new division, but that isn’t the case.

They kicked their third-tier campaign off with a win against Wycombe Wanderers, before registering a draw with Northampton Town a week later.

They then added to that a win over Championship side Blackburn Rovers in the first round of the Carabao Cup, extending their unbeaten run in all competitions to three for the new season.

Avoiding a high-profile signing like Wells has allowed Bradford to spend their funds more evenly across the squad to gear themselves up for what promises to be a tough season, and the early signs suggest that decision is paying dividends.