Posh Swoop For Baldwin
Phil Adlam
Posh beat the deadline to sign highly-rated Hartlepool defender Jack Baldwin.
Peterborough United beat the transfer deadline with literally seconds to spare to complete the signing of highly-rated Hartlepool defender Jack Baldwin for an undisclosed fee.
The 20-year-old has penned a four-and-half year deal at London Road after traveling over four hours to complete the paperwork on Friday evening.
Baldwin, who has made close to 100 appearances in the Football League for Hartlepool, can also operate at full-back or in midfield.
Manager Darren Ferguson said: 'It is a really good signing. He is a young centre half and I think he is going to be a really top player. We have managed to get it done. Most of the Championship have been watching him and a Premier League club too, but we really like him.
'He reminds me of Ryan Bennett, the way he passes the ball, he is tough enough and he knows we can improve him. It is a signing that excites me. It is an area of the pitch that we needed to strengthen. We have only got three recognised centre backs and Nathaniel Knight-Percival has been doing very well at left-back and I feel I want to keep him there at the minute.
'He is going to be a really good player for us. He has played a lot of games, he has played in midfield too, but we will work with him as a centre half. He has good ability on the ball, he is very elegant, reads the game well and he is the one we have been after for a while now. I am delighted to get it done,' Ferguson said.