Bradford City facing transfer obstacle in pursuit of Barnsley FC agreement | OneFootball

Bradford City are keen to re-sign Jack Shepherd from Barnsley, but face a stumbling block with the fee.

Bradford City are keen to bring back star loanee Jack Shepherd on a permanent deal from Barnsley this summer, following their promotion to League One.

That's according to journalist Alan Nixon via his Patreon page on Sunday morning. The Barnsley defender spent the 2024/25 campaign on loan with Graham Alexander's men, and played a key role in their promotion campaign.

This has reportedly seen the Bantams ignite interest in signing Shepherd permanently from their League One rivals in the upcoming summer transfer window.

However, Nixon suggests that a deal could be difficult to agree between the two parties, as another loan for the defender is off the table.

The fee is reportedly going to be 'hard to agree' between the two clubs, which isn't the news that Bradford fans would be wanting to hear.

Bradford City keen on Jack Shepherd return, but face stumbling block

The former Premier League club secured promotion back to League One in the most dramatic of circumstances on the final day of the season, as Antoni Sarcevic scored a 96th-minute winner to break Walsall hearts.

It's been an excellent season for Bradford, and one of the players at the heart of that success is Barnsley defender Shepherd. The 24-year-old spent the season on loan with the League Two outfit, playing 39 times and scoring two goals.

This has seen the Bantams reportedly keen to agree a return to Valley Parade on a permanent basis. It seems that another loan deal wouldn't be likely as Barnsley and Bradford will play in the same division next season.

However, Nixon reported that the deal would be a difficult one for the promotion winners to pull off. The journalist stated that the fee would be 'hard to agree'.

It's unclear what Shepherd's planned involvement with the Tykes is for next season. It's not a bold assumption that after the excellent season he had at Bradford, Conor Hourihane could see him as a first-team regular.

This could be why Barnsley would be reluctant to sell the defender to a League One rival, and only accept a high offer for him which the Bantams may be unable to afford.

Shepherd signing will likely be Bradford's top priority

For the first time since 2019, Bradford find themselves in the third tier of English football following a painful few seasons stuck in League Two.

A club the size of the Yorkshire outfit will be keen to ensure they remain in the division, whilst also giving themselves a strong core of players to grow into a potential promotion contender in a few seasons.

Bringing Shepherd back would be a key signing not only for next season and their chances of staying in League One in their first season, but also for the medium-term future as he can develop into a top defender for the level.

The stumbling block that Nixon reported will of course be a disappointing revelation for the Bantams, which they will hope can be overcome to bring the 24-year-old back to Valley Parade permanently.