Albion saw off Stags to land Hughes from Foxes
BURTON Albion won a battle with Nigel Clough’s Mansfield Town to bring Sam Hughes back to the Pirelli Stadium.
And Brewers boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink believes Hughes has the potential to be a future captain with the team.
Hughes has been revealed as the Stags’ number one target for a new centre-back in the transfer window – but they had to settle on another former Brewers loanee, Richard Nartey, on loan after Hughes chose Albion.
Hughes was a big success for Burton while they were struggling in League One last season, before injuring his cruciate ligament against Doncaster Rovers in December. The Brewers conceded 14 goals in three games immediately after his departure – and immediately before Hasselbaink returned as manager.
The League of 72 podcast went behind the scenes at Mansfield on deadline day on Tuesday and an interview with the Stags chief executive, David Sharpe, nine hours before the deadline, revealed their interest in Hughes.
“Our top target (was) a boy from Leicester, it was a complicated one because he’s coming back from injury. We’d agreed a loan with Leicester which was going to turn into a permanent from January,” Sharpe says in the film.
“However, there are other clubs interested in League One. We’re just waiting on the player to make a decision.”
Shortly after, Sharpe says: “Sam Hughes has turned us down to go and play in League One. It happens.”
Mansfield had already been offered Nartey on loan by Burnley and chose to take up the option. Nartey made 30 appearances for Burton under Clough in the 201920 season.
Hasselbaink has not commented on
Mansfield’s interest in Hughes, but he hinted at the possibility of a long future for the player with the Brewers.
The centre-half has only signed on loan until January initially but he is also not ready to play yet, being in the final stages of rehab after his injury.
“Sam is a long-term plan for us,” said Hasselbaink.
“Let him come out of his injury first, then he can come with the group and then we will have talks ongoing about him staying for a few years.
“He’s a leader. I see him as a future captain of the group. He has those kind of characteristics in his DNA.
“In a way, he’s an old-fashioned centrehalf – no nonsense.”
Hughes also showed an eye for a goal in his first spell, scoring twice.
“That’s what we need – players who are extremely sharp in both boxes,” added Hasselbaink.