Jonson Clarke-Harris is set to leave Posh in January, and it is a situation that the Terriers and Darren Moore could take advantage of
After just seven games of the 2023–24 season, Huddersfield Town’s owner, Kevin Nagle, bravely decided to fire veteran manager Neil Warnock. It’s safe to say that the Terriers haven’t quite found their best footing under new manager Darren Moore just yet.
Many had assumed that Warnock would stay on for another season after his near-miraculous effort to keep Town in the Championship the season before.
But even though Warnock had won his previous two games, news of his impending departure was revealed the night before a September encounter against Stoke City, which turned out to be the 74-year-old’s last game as manager during his second tenure.
Nagle, explaining the decision, said that when the club had found their eventual Warnock successor, they would move, but Moore’s arrival came a lot earlier than anyone would have anticipated.
And with just one win in his opening eight matches as manager, Moore has a fight on his hands to keep the West Yorkshire side in the second tier of English football for another season.
In fairness, there have been four draws in there as well, but there have also been hammerings against Cardiff, Birmingham, and Leeds, which suggests there are still significant issues that Moore has inherited.
There are defensive frailties that perhaps need addressing in January, but the attack needs work done to it as well, with just six goals scored since Moore’s arrival, and half of them have come from center-back Michal Helik.
What Huddersfield definitely needs is a focal point in attack due to Danny Ward being injured and aging, Kian Harratt and Kyle Hudlin being young and inexperienced and perhaps not ready to play regularly at the level, leaving Delano Burgzorg as the only real proper option.
And in Jonson Clarke-Harris, there is a player that will be available in the January transfer window who Moore will know all about from his time in League One, but also someone who has scored goals in the Championship.
Jonson Clarke-Harris’ Peterborough United situation
The 29-year-old has been at London Road for over three years now, but his time there is set to come to an end either in January or the summer of 2024.
Clarke-Harris’ contract expires next June, and Peterborough were very close to selling him back to League One rivals Bristol Rovers in the summer, with Joey Barton desperate for his services.
A deal in excess of £800,000 failed to beat the deadline, leaving Darren Ferguson with excess striker options after planning for life without the striker.
With Barton now gone from the Memorial Stadium, though, that could open a deal up to other clubs, and the price will likely come down the closer Clarke-Harris’s contract gets to expiring.
As evidenced by Clarke-Harris’ last four full seasons, he scores goals with regularity, provided he gets the right service, and his tally has only dropped off during the current campaign as he has been relegated by Ferguson to that of a substitute as other players who are contracted beyond 2024 are given a chance.
Where does Jonson Clarke-Harris fit in at Huddersfield?
In six of Moore’s eight matches in charge of Huddersfield, he has opted to start with two strikers up front, going with the same system that he had much success in League One with Sheffield Wednesday with.
That is perhaps not going to get the best out of a winger like Josh Koroma, but what it can mean is that he plays up front with a big striker who can do a bit of everything, like Clarke-Harris.
With his six feet and strength, Clarke-Harris can be the man who brings others into the game. Players like Sorba Thomas, Koroma, and Jack Rudoni can all play off of or around him. If Moore were to switch to a 4-2-3-1 system, the 29-year-old would be more comfortable playing in that configuration.
Due to the circumstances of his expiring contract, there’s every reason to believe that Huddersfield could sign Clarke-Harris for roughly £500,000 in January. His goal record, even though it’s primarily at League One level, speaks for itself; therefore, it’s a deal that makes perfect sense to investigate.
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