After an outstanding start in the National League South, a number of EFL clubs are pursuing Chippenham Town midfielder Joe Andrews, including Norwich City, Coventry City, and Swansea City.
According to Football Insider, the three Championship teams mentioned above, as well as League One team Peterborough United, have been regularly monitoring the 18-year-old this season as they consider a move.
Andrews, a Wales U19 international, was picked up by Chippenham Town in the sixth division after spending 11 years at Southampton before being released in the summer. He has received praise for his performances there.
Due to interest from higher up the pyramid, it appears that he won’t be at Hardenhuish Park for very long, even though he only joined Chippenham Town at the start of the 2024–25 season.
Several EFL teams are keeping tabs on Joe Andrews of Chippenham Town.
After leaving Southampton in the summer after 11 years with their academy, Andrews found himself in a challenging situation. However, he has adapted well to senior football, and it appears that the move to Chippenham was a wise one, as many EFL clubs are vying for his services.
This season, the midfielder has made 22 appearances for the Bluebirds in the National League South, recording two assists. His maturity and ability to adjust to senior football have impressed EFL clubs.
Although Andrew has never played for the Saints in the first squad, he did play a number of games for the franchise’s U21 team in Premier League 2 at the age of 16, demonstrating his ability. It doesn’t appear that long before he returns to a professional setting.
With Dan Ellison signing a contract with Bristol Rovers in the summer, Chippenham has demonstrated their ability to nurture young players in the past, and it looks like Andrews will be the next to come off the assembly line.
Joe Andrews must make a difficult choice.
Andrews must make a difficult choice regarding his next club because there are so many EFL teams interested in him, and each of the four has advantages of its own.
The opportunity to work with Frank Lampard at Coventry City as a central midfielder would be a major lure, but there would be doubts about how frequently he would play at the Championship level, and he might start up playing U21 games.
Todd Cantwell, Jon Rowe, and Abu Kamara are just a few of the players who have risen through the ranks at Carrow Road in recent years, demonstrating Norwich City’s exceptional talent development abilities. They also don’t hesitate to give young players a chance.
With players like Joe Rodon, Connor Roberts, and Dan James rising through the ranks before securing contracts to the Premier League, Swansea has also demonstrated their value in nurturing young talent, and Andrews may find the Welsh connection significant.
As a Wales U19 international, Andrews would be under Craig Bellamy’s strict supervision at Swansea, with the Wales manager actively monitoring young players with Welsh qualifications.
However, a transfer to League One with Peterborough would likely offer him the quickest road to first-team play, so it’s a real conundrum for Andrews as he attempts to make a move to the EFL.
