Northampton Town have completed the signing of former City loanee Jack Vale until the end of the season.
The 24-year-old has been training with the Cobblers for several weeks and becomes the club’s 16th addition of the summer.
Nolan’s Verdict on the Deal
Cobblers boss Kevin Nolan explained why the club had taken their time to complete the deal, highlighting that Vale had been under consideration for some time.
“We have taken our time over this move because we wanted to make sure we got the right one in, but Jack is someone who has been on our radar a while,” Nolan told the club website.
The Welsh forward has impressed in training since joining the squad earlier this month, with his eventual signing offering extra depth to a Northampton attack that has been reshaped significantly over the summer.
Jack Vale Career
Vale came through the ranks at The New Saints before joining Blackburn Rovers’ academy in 2017. He signed his first professional deal with the club that same year and extended his contract in 2019, eventually making his Championship debut against Reading in July 2020. Over his time at Ewood Park he made 18 league appearances, though he was regularly loaned out to gain experience.
His early loan at Barrow in 2020 was curtailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning he never featured, but he gained minutes at Rochdale in League One during 2021 before a more productive spell with FC Halifax Town, where he scored his first senior goal in December 2021.
Vale joined The Imps on loan in September 2023, making 14 League One appearances and scoring once. However, despite early promise, he struggled to impose himself on games, and only had two shots on target during his Imps tenure. He did score in the EFL Trophy against Notts County, but dropped out of contention once Michael Skubala arrived, and with Freddie Draper and Joe Taylor coming back in January, he was recalled by Blackburn.
He then switched to Motherwell, where two loan spells in the Scottish Premiership followed, scoring twice in 13 games during the first of those stints. In May 2025 Blackburn confirmed his release, and he’s since been without a club, spending time at the PFA training camp.
Northampton’s Busy Summer Window
Vale becomes the 16th new arrival at Sixfields since the end of last season, as Nolan continues his efforts to assemble a side capable of surviving in League One. The Cobblers didn’t look bad when we played them, but lacked a killer edge up front.
Will Vale give them that? I’m not sure, but the deal is good for both parties. Having been released by Blackburn, it represents a chance for Vale to relaunch his career in England after several stop–start loan moves. With the season already well underway, his challenge will be to establish himself quickly and prove he can deliver goals at this level.
It also gives him a chance to link up again with Jack Burroughs, another former Imps loanee currently at Sixfields.