Inside Walsall's Aaron Pressley deal: January rebuff and fending off competition
The 2-0 defeat at Barrow in April still sends shivers down the spine of every Walsall fan who was there to witness it.
One of the stars of the show was the Bluebirds' domineering 6ft 4in target man, who proved uncontainable, especially for returning Saddlers skipper Donervon Daniels.
It was perhaps the first time Walsall fans had set eyes on Aaron Pressley, but Sadler was well aware of the terrifying threat that he posed, and had been for sometime.
In fact, Pressley was on his radar in January, but the 23-year-old opted against a loan switch due to Nathan Lowe's prolific form.
Walsall attempted to sign Aaron Pressley in January
"Aaron was probably into the mix of stuff we spoke about in January in regards to things that didn't happen due to the Lowe situation," Sadler revealed.
"But he's certainly someone who had been on my radar for 12 to 18 months."
Lowe would subsequently be recalled, but Pressley had joined Barrow on loan by that point.
He would show no mercy to his future employers and should've easily had a hat-trick inside the opening half-hour.
The Scotsman escaped the auspices of Oisin McEntee and pounced on the rebound from his saved header to deliver the breakthrough for the Cumbrian hosts.
Next, Pressley left Daniels in his wake with another smart run and planted a downward header agonisingly wide of Tommy Simkin's left-hand post.
Simkin prevented him from inflicting further damage when he got a strong pair of gloves to another fierce effort at his near post.
Walsall were shaken at this point and they never really recovered, but that afternoon only strengthened Sadler's interest.
Saddlers' summer battle for Pressley's signature
After scoring four goals in his last 10 matches during his temporary stay at Holker Street, Barrow boss Andy Whing only naturally wanted to keep him on board.
But Walsall won the race and the early signs suggest they've got a useful centre-forward on their hands.
At 23, Pressley also had plenty of scope for improvement, and continuity could be exactly what he needs to take his career to the next level.
Sadler added: "Of course, you'll always talk to the last manager a player has had, but obviously it's easier to pick the phone up to your best mate [Sadler had been close friends with Whing since school].
"Barrow wanted to sign him as well because of what he had done with them, but we worked really hard and there have been some really promising early signs.
"He's not only a target man, but he's mobile and defenders know they're in a game when they play him."
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