Bradford City have missed out on the signing of John Bostock, who has signed for National League side Notts County on an 18-month deal. 

Bostock was a free agent having turned down terms on an 18-month contract with Doncaster Rovers back in the summer, following their relegation into League Two.

Having gone through the early stage of 2022/23 without a club, Bostock has been training with Notts over recent weeks and the club have now confirmed that they’ve reached an agreement with the 30-year-old that ties him down until the summer of 2024.

It’s Football League World’s understanding that Bostock has snubbed EFL interest to link up with Notts County, with sources revealing that Bradford boss Mark Hughes had been pushing hard to take him to Valley Parade.

A key factor behind Bostock’s decision to choose Notts over Bradford is the fact he’s based in Nottingham, with family ties ultimately pushing him in the direction of Meadow Lane.

Hughes’ Bantams currently sit sixth in League Two after back-to-back defeats dented their hopes of keeping real pace with the automatic promotion race.

Notts’ own promotion push in the National League, meanwhile, will be boosted by the addition of Bostock, a former England youth international that has previously been on the books of Crystal Palace, Tottenham, Nottingham Forest and, most recently, Doncaster. Luke Williams’ side are top of the National League.

The Verdict 

This is obviously disappointing for Bradford and Hughes, particularly as it seems off-field reasons are why they’ve missed out on a player the manager wanted.

Bostock has enjoyed a really good career in both England and abroad, playing for a range of clubs and, naturally, picking up plenty of experience.

That could’ve been useful for Bradford but, instead, it’s Notts and a non-league promotion push that will be boosted by those expertise.

Thoughts? Let us know!