Why Huddersfield Town have made Aston Villa transfer move - Lee Grant has revealed the reason | OneFootball

Huddersfield Town have made Aston Villa defender Josh Feeney their fifth addition of the summer

Huddersfield Town have signed Aston Villa defender Josh Feeney on loan for the 2025/26 campaign.

The defender is the Terriers’ fifth signing of the summer, alongside Ryan Ledson, Marcus Harness, Sean Roughan and Joe Low.

Lee Grant has obviously been keen to improve his backline since taking over as Huddersfield manager at the end of May, with Feeney the third defender brought to the John Smith’s stadium in the last week.

The Terriers’ boss made his affection for the centre-half clear via the club’s website following the announcement of Feeney’s move.

Huddersfield Town manager Lee Grant outlines reasoning behind Josh Feeney loan move

As Grant embarks on his first full-time managerial role, he has been quick to recruit the profiles he sees necessary to challenge for promotion next term.

“I am delighted to bring Josh through the door here at Huddersfield Town, as he bolsters our defensive unit heading towards the 2025/26 season,” explained the Terriers’ boss.

“Josh is a young talented defender who has a season of experience playing in this division, proving he can deal with the demands of a busy schedule, and is ready and capable of making another step up, as he becomes another addition to our back line.

“We are excited by the potential in Josh this season and we know that he’s motivated in helping Huddersfield Town and the Team towards our goals.

“I would like to thank Aston Villa for their trust in assisting the development of one of their bright young talents, and we look forward to working with Josh as we head into pre-season.”

Josh Feeney could prove to be a solid bit of business by Grant and Huddersfield Town

Huddersfield are stating their intent for next season early on in this transfer window, and bringing in a promising talent on loan can only impact the side positively.

Feeney made 37 League One appearances for Shrewsbury last term, so won’t need a few months to bed in and acclimatise to the division.

Clearly the defender is held in high regard, with Villa keen to source loan deals in an attempt to continuously aid his development.

Huddersfield will hope to harness this talent and use it to their advantage. If the centre-half can make “another step up” as Grant alluded to, he could prove to be a vital cog in the Terriers’ defence next term.

In a gruelling campaign that will feature over 50 games across four different competitions, fresh, determined legs at the back can prove to be a valuable asset. One that Grant and Co. now possess.

Speaking to the club website, Feeney was thrilled to make the move.

“I am thrilled to join Huddersfield Town for the season, a club that has a positive feeling around it and ambition, in Sky Bet League One," stated the defender.

“After conversations with Manager Lee Grant, I felt like this was absolutely the right move for me to continue my development. He has clear values and objectives and that is something that I can really get on board with.

“The objectives are clear, and I can’t wait to contribute to the side this season, hopefully giving the fans some positive memories on the way.”