Peterborough United are preparing to cash in on defender Romoney Crichlow, who has been listed for transfer by the League One team after only one season.
Posh announced their retained list, with the 24-year-old defender named as available for transfer along with five other players, following a season in which Darren Ferguson’s team failed to reach the play-off semi-finals for the second consecutive season.
With Crichlow’s departure seemingly certain, might previous club Bradford City attempt to re-sign the Luton-born defender?
Following his excellent loan stay at Valley Parade in the 2022/23 season, during which The Bantams advanced to the League Two playoffs, Crichlow was released by parent club Huddersfield Town and subsequently signed a two-year contract with the London Road team.
However, his stint in Cambridgeshire was disappointing, as he played just 800 minutes across 22 league games, keeping only two clean sheets in his first two outings for the club.
It wasn’t the first time the centre-back failed to adjust to League One, having made only two appearances for Plymouth Argyle in 2021/22 after spending the first few months of the season at Swindon Town.
With City losing Jonathan Tomkinson to Norwich City and Daniel Oyegoke to Brentford when their loan spells expire, returning to a former player might help fill the vacuum left by the two.
Bradford have altered since Crichlow’s departure last summer, with Mark Hughes replaced by former MK Dons manager Graham Alexander, who has switched the system from four to five backs.
But he should fit in well with his old teammates Sam Stubbs and Matty Platt, and he will provide the movement needed at the back that Tomkinson used for the Yorkshire club last season.
Crichlow appeared 41 times in Claret and Amber two seasons ago, scoring once in a critical game against Northampton Town in the run-in. Throughout the season, he kept 14 clean sheets and intercepted 48 passes.
While it was said that after his stint at Bradford City, he did not want to play in the fourth tier again, possibly returning to that level in a more comfortable atmosphere might help him regain the level he demonstrated while there.
Reinforcements are required during the summer, with only three centre-backs (Stubbs, Ash Taylor, and Ciaran Kelly) now committed for next season, with Platt being given a new contract. They also don’t have a left-footed defender in the team, so acquiring Crichlow may provide further muscle on City’s weaker flank.
A transfer price between the two teams might be a sticking issue as Posh looks to cash out on the remaining year of his contract, with Transfermarkt valuing the 24-year-old at £150,000. If the League Two team is willing to pay on a new centre-back this summer, going for a tried-and-true alternative in Romoney Crichlow might keep them on pace to return to the play-offs or higher by the end of next season.
