Bradford City urged to line up deal for Notts County star Alassana Jatta | OneFootball

FLW's Bantams fan pundit identifies a realistic target for the club this summer.

Bradford City will face the task of building a team capable of at least consolidating their position in League One this summer, ahead of their return to the third tier next season.

Graham Alexander’s side secured automatic promotion in dramatic fashion on the final day of the season, with Antoni Sarcevic scoring a fortuitous winner deep into stoppage time of their clash with Fleetwood Town at Valley Parade.

That goal finally put an end to the Bantams’ six-year stay in the EFL’s basement division, and with a hugely positive feeling around Valley Parade at present, the club’s hierarchy will surely be desperate to build on the momentum that has been generated throughout this campaign.

Bradford won’t want to stand still heading into next season, and there will be plenty of people who expect them to do more than be satisfied with survival next term.

Bradford tipped to target Notts County’s Alassana Jatta

The Bantams’ promotion push this year has only served to highlight once again just how big a club they are for the lower leagues.

A crowd of over 24,000 packed into Valley Parade for that Fleetwood encounter, and that was their fourth consecutive attendance of over 20,000, a simply staggering achievement for League Two level.

The likes of Wrexham and Stockport have both enjoyed rapid rises through the divisions in recent years, and with that kind of infrastructure and support in place at the club, Bradford will surely feel that this promotion could prove to be just the beginning.

However, first on their agenda will be strengthening the squad this summer, to ensure they avoid getting drawn into any sort of relegation battle next term.

With that in mind, we asked FLW’s resident Bradford fan pundit, Boris Thomson, who he would like to see the club target this summer.

Boris said: “If Notts County stay down in League Two, then I think signing Alassana Jatta would be a really good move for us. He’s had a great season, I think he’s still near the top of the goal-scoring charts in League Two.

“He’s clearly a very, very good striker, and that’s a position we really need to strengthen in.

“Callum Kavanagh has done well for us this season, but I don’t think he’s quite the player that Jatta would be.

“I could also see the return of Nakhi Wells to Bradford after years away. He’s won us promotions before, and it would be a nice fitting ending as his career winds down.”

Bradford need a striker badly

If Bradford could only make one addition to their side this summer, it would surely come in their attacking ranks.

Andy Cook’s season-ending injury back in January highlighted just how little depth the Bantams have at the top of the pitch. In fairness, with a striker like Cook, who is as prolific as anyone at the level, any backup would have been unlikely to feature regularly, but would still have been necessary for any eventualities.

In January, they opted for Michael Mellon, but with his loan spell having brought just two goals, Bradford will surely have their sights set on a bigger target for next year.

Cook is expected to make his return at some point during pre-season, but at 34, there is understandably some concern as to how well he may return from what was such a serious injury. As a result, it would be no surprise to see Bradford chase a big-name striker to bring into the club.

Notts County’s Jatta could prove to be an ideal fit. The Gambian’s season ended in disappointing fashion, with a red card in the Magpies’ play-off semi-final first leg set to rule him out of whatever ultimately remains of their post-season campaign.

However, Jatta has proven himself to be an extremely well-rounded striker for lower league football throughout his first full season in the EFL.

The 26-year-old has provided an invaluable physical presence for Stuart Maynard’s side and finished as the division’s second-highest scorer with 19 league strikes to his name.

The only stumbling block between Bradford and a potential swoop could be the Nottingham outfit’s asking price. Back in January, Championship side Plymouth had a bid of £750,000 rejected, with the Magpies understood to be holding out for an offer in excess of £1m.

But with Jatta’s contract having just one year left to run, it could be that they are forced to potentially consider offers at a cut-price.