Huddersfield Town confirm first summer transfer as Will Boyle returns from Cheltenham Town

Huddersfield Town have announced centre-back Will Boyle as their first summer signing after confirming the centre-back will join as a free agent from Cheltenham Town once his contract expires at the end of the month. His deal with Huddersfield will run to summer 2024, at which point the club have the option of an extra year's extension.

The 26-year-old will already be a familiar face to Terriers fans having come through the club’s academy and made two Championship appearances under David Wagner. He departed Huddersfield for Cheltenham in January 2017 and helped them gain promotion to League One in 2021, being named in both the EFL and PFA League Two teams of the season for that campaign.

A 6’3” left-footed centre-back with a decent record for scoring from set pieces, Boyle could be seen as a direct replacement for Naby Sarr, whose release the club confirmed last week along with five other out-of-contract players.

Town have had great success recruiting from League One over the years with Harry Toffolo, Lee Nicholls and Ollie Turton all successfully making the step up the leagues, as had Karlan Grant before them.

The club are believed to have been impressed by Boyle’s attitude during his previous spell, and head coach Carlos Corberan spoke repeatedly last season about the importance of last summer’s signings all being in the habit of playing regularly at their previous clubs – which Boyle has done since joining Cheltenham.

Town head of football operations Leigh Bromby said: “I’m delighted that we will welcome Will back to Huddersfield Town. As a player and a person, he ticks many of the boxes we look for in players. He’s got over 225 appearances behind him, showing he is robust enough to play week-in and week-out.