Nahki Wells rules out Bradford City return as League One suitors circle after Bristol City exit

Nahki Wells ends Bristol City spell and shuts down Bradford talk

The romance lasted about five seconds. Asked about a return to Bradford City, the club where he first lit up English football, Nahki Wells didn’t hesitate: “There’s absolutely no truth in that.” The 35-year-old striker has left Bristol City as Gerhard Struber starts a reset at Ashton Gate, and while nostalgia sells, it’s not the plan. Bradford, where he played from 2011 to 2014 before a £1.5 million move to Huddersfield Town, won’t be his next stop.

His exit from Bristol City was expected once the new regime took hold. Struber wants a quicker, more aggressive front line and has been reshaping the squad with that in mind. Wells, still sharp in the box and clever with his movement, finished last season with 10 goals in 41 appearances across competitions—a solid return given minutes and role changes. He leaves with his reputation intact and his options open, especially in League One where experience and reliability carry weight.

Wells has always been decisive about his career moves. After breaking through at Bradford with a flurry of goals and a League Cup run that still lives in the memory, he proved he could score at Championship level with Huddersfield. Stints at Burnley, QPR, and Bristol City followed. Through it all, his profile stayed consistent: smart runs, quick finishes, and the kind of poacher’s instinct managers trust in tight promotion races.

Huddersfield fit, market dynamics, and what comes next

If there’s a reunion to watch, it’s Huddersfield Town. The Terriers, now early promotion favourites in League One under Lee Grant, are pushing to build a squad that wins now. They’ve been active across the pitch and still want more up top. Reports have linked them with Stoke City’s Nathan Lowe, but the numbers will matter. Lowe would cost a fee and higher wages; Wells is a free agent who could be signed on a leaner, incentive-based package. For a club trying to balance ambition with discipline, that’s a real talking point.

Stylistically, the fit works. Wells knows the John Smith’s Stadium, knows the pressure that comes with expectation, and knows how to play as a lone forward or in a two. He’s comfortable pressing from the front and thrives on early service into the box. In League One, where games can be won by the first goal and settled by set pieces, that matters. Give him crosses, cut-backs, and quick transitions, and he’ll still find chances.

Age gets a headline, but context matters more. At 35, he’s not the future of anyone’s project, but he can be the bridge. Last season’s 10 in 41 for Bristol City came in a team that often shuffled roles and combinations. He stays fit, he leads by example, and he’s not shy about taking responsibility from the spot. For clubs heading into a 46-game slog, there’s value in a striker who needs no introduction to the division.

Huddersfield aren’t the only plausible landing spot. Several ambitious League One sides are hunting goals and leadership—think teams with playoff aims that fell short last season or recently relegated clubs recalibrating quickly. The profile they want is similar: a forward who can deliver immediately, support younger attackers, and accept a performance-weighted contract. That’s the Wells market in a sentence.

There’s also the financial reality. Free agents still command strong wages, but the structure is different. Clubs can front-load bonuses tied to appearances and goals, keep the guaranteed portion sensible, and protect themselves with a one-year deal plus an option. Wells is the kind of signing that gets done in late July or early August, often after he’s trained with a squad for a week so both sides can test the fit. If he impresses in a behind-closed-doors friendly, the deal moves fast.

The Bradford denial makes sense beyond emotion. Bradford sit a tier lower and are navigating their own rebuild. Wells has made it clear he wants the right project, which usually means a promotion push in League One, a defined role, and a manager who values his skill set rather than trying to reinvent it. He has little to prove at that level; what he needs is a platform.

For Bristol City, his departure is part of a broader shift. Struber’s teams lean on tempo and verticality, with forwards asked to press in numbers and run channels relentlessly. The club will look to younger profiles and pace to stretch defenses. That’s a philosophical choice, not a verdict on Wells. He served, he scored, he moves on.

What will decide his next club? Three things stand out:

• Role clarity: Everyday starter or high-impact rotation? Wells can do both, but wants a plan.
• Supply line: Wingers who deliver early balls and midfielders who play forward quickly suit him best.
• Contract shape: A one-year deal with an option and performance triggers feels the most realistic.

Timing also matters. Preseason friendlies ramp up now, and squads want their No. 9s bedded in before the opening weekend. That’s why conversations intensify once managers see what they’re short of after two or three games. Don’t be surprised if he trains with a prospective club before anything is announced.

What’s not in doubt is the appeal. Even in a market with younger targets and resale value obsessions, proven output still gets you in the room. Nahki Wells is a known quantity: efficient in the box, calm under pressure, and comfortable carrying expectation. He shut down the Bradford City nostalgia tour, but he didn’t shut the door on reunions. Huddersfield makes football sense. So do a handful of other League One contenders who know one more reliable finisher can change a season.