Bradford City have signed Burton striker Jake Beesley for an undisclosed fee, with the move set to make him the club’s first summer addition once the transfer window opens later this month. The 29-year-old forward arrives after a season in which he produced 13 goals and seven assists in 45 League One appearances for Burton.
Beesley said the deal had been building for several transfer windows and that the timing was finally right. For Bradford, that makes this more than a routine addition. It is the player they have been tracking since the summer of 2023, when Mark Hughes was still in charge, landing at the point they were ready to turn long interest into business.
That pursuit had already reached the table once before. Bradford had a January bid rejected, but they have now got the transfer over the line and added a forward with a record built for this level. Beesley has 130 appearances in the division and 77 career goals, numbers that give the move immediate weight for a club looking to start its summer with a striker who has delivered in League One.
He also comes with a familiar edge for Bradford. Beesley scored at Valley Parade in Burton’s 2-1 win last season, a reminder that he has already shown he can punish the same team he is now joining. His spell at Burton ended with leadership duties as well, after he was named vice captain last season, underlining the role he had carved out there.
There is another layer to the move that Bradford will know well. Beesley had a brief spell with Salford under Graham Alexander when they came up from the National League, scoring twice in eight appearances, and Alexander said the club were delighted to begin their summer business with his signing. He described Beesley as someone the club have always been interested in, a player with good experience, room to improve and the athleticism to be a constant threat in the front line.
Beesley said he was absolutely thrilled to get the move done and suggested Bradford’s size played into his decision. He said players raise their game against the club and expects that feeling to grow even more with the supporters behind him. The fee remains undisclosed, but the message from both sides is clear: Bradford have spent months waiting for this transfer, and now they have their first summer signing in place as soon as the window opens.
