TIMI Odusina has completed a switch to League Two rivals Bradford City after rejecting a new contract at Hartlepool United ending weeks of talks between the two parties.

The central defender signs a three-year deal with the Bantams and leaves for an undisclosed feee which Pools say will be reinvested back into the squad.

Odusina ends his two-and-a-half year stay at the Suit Direct Stadium. The 22-year-old signed for the club in the summer of 2020 after a brief loan spell at the Suit Direct Stadium but struggled to break into the first-team as Pools achieved promotion from the National League. His first year in the Football League saw him excel in the heart of defence under manager Graeme Lee as he cemented a place in their backline. During his two-and-a-half years in the North-East, the former AFC Fylde loanee has featured 82 times.

The 22-year-old’s deal at Pools was due to come to an end in a matter of days and he was offered fresh terms at the end of last season. However, Odusina has made the move to Valley Parade to play under former Manchester City manager Mark Hughes.

Pools fought hard to keep hold of Odusina having been locked in negotiations for weeks after his breakout year in the Football League but it’s understood that the club have seen certain demands from the player to be unrealistic. While Chairman Raj Singh has made his intentions clear to back the club during the transfer window, they remain in firm in their stance of not breaking the bank to extend players deals or make new signings. They travelled without the defender to their pre-season training camp in Portugal as Odusina was able to wrap up the details of his switch to Yorkshire.

The club recently lost last season’s top scorer Luke Molyneux who made the switch to fellow League Two side Doncaster Rovers following the expiration of his deal at Pools while forward Jordan Cook is yet to put pen-to-paper after being offered a new contract. However, Cook has been pictured in training with the Pools squad in Portugal today.

New Pools manager Paul Hartley has bolstered his defensive options in recent weeks with the additions of full-back Reghan Tumilty and central defenders Euan Murray and Alex Lacey which will fill the gaps left by Odusina and club legend Gary Liddle who left the club for South Shields earlier this summer.