Summer 2021 Transfer Thread.

[BWFC_Insane]

My favourite part of this is getting texts from Wigan mates who thought he was moving to a Championship club and that's why they couldn't sign him. Even if he bombs here it's worth it for the banter.

I particularly liked his comments about signing for a big club with ambition. Also seemed like this has been in the pipeline a while as the gaffer spoke to him weeks ago...

Jovial parochial joshing aside, it shows good awareness of what's going on and who's available – and furthermore a very impressive level of secrecy. A couple of weeks ago – I think when Andy Cannon was linked – Evatt chuckled that we didn't know his real targets and this one certainly landed with absolutely zero warning. That stealth might not be the greatest for a transfer-gossip thread but you can't help feel it's better for the club's transfer policy.

Not escaped my notice that loudmouth Nixon who has the inside track on NW clubs especially Bolton historically hasn’t had any scoops so far and you’d have though Johnston being at Wigan would have been one he’d have known about.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Jovial parochial joshing aside, it shows good awareness of what's going on and who's available – and furthermore a very impressive level of secrecy. A couple of weeks ago – I think when Andy Cannon was linked – Evatt chuckled that we didn't know his real targets and this one certainly landed with absolutely zero warning. That stealth might not be the greatest for a transfer-gossip thread but you can't help feel it's better for the club's transfer policy.

Not escaped my notice that loudmouth Nixon who has the inside track on NW clubs especially Bolton historically hasn’t had any scoops so far and you’d have though Johnston being at Wigan would have been one he’d have known about.

"Aye."

Think he named a couple last summer before we signed them, but can't recall him breaking any news in January, and as you say he was as silent as everyone else on Johnston.

[sonicthewhite]

Some good solid signings and done nice and early. Could be a theme here of us finally signing players who can come into the squad immediately and do a job and ones who also have the potential, and time, to improve. Throw in the fact that they will also have resale value and it points to a very good and refreshing future.

[sonicthewhite]

DSB asked;

What do you know about Harry Anderson? LINCOLN have released him (plus goalie Ethan Ross). As the club's longest-serving player (five years), he's got two league titles and a FL Trophy. Winger (unless you know better ) who struggled with injury and Covid last season, plus the surfeit of wingers that persuaded Lincoln to let us borrow Zak Elbouzedi - who is, by the way, on their retained list, not released.
[/quote]

I know that my son-in-law rates him highly, more so than Elbouzedi. Was genuinely shocked when I suggested he could end up at Bolton. He's certainly a firm favourite in our house after Anderson went out of his way to send a birthday card and a Teddy to my grandson for no other reason that they're both called Harry and both are Lincoln supporters lol. I did have words with my daughter about the young man's allegiances but I'm too far away to have any influence. Until this season

Nice gestures aside I'll see if my son-in-law can put a good word in for us with Harry. The footballing one that is.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

DSB asked;

What do you know about Harry Anderson? LINCOLN have released him (plus goalie Ethan Ross). As the club's longest-serving player (five years), he's got two league titles and a FL Trophy. Winger (unless you know better ) who struggled with injury and Covid last season, plus the surfeit of wingers that persuaded Lincoln to let us borrow Zak Elbouzedi - who is, by the way, on their retained list, not released.

I know that my son-in-law rates him highly, more so than Elbouzedi. Was genuinely shocked when I suggested he could end up at Bolton. He's certainly a firm favourite in our house after Anderson went out of his way to send a birthday card and a Teddy to my grandson for no other reason that they're both called Harry and both are Lincoln supporters lol. I did have words with my daughter about the young man's allegiances but I'm too far away to have any influence. Until this season

Nice gestures aside I'll see if my son-in-law can put a good word in for us with Harry. The footballing one that is.

Cheers, Sonic – for the info as well as the good word He does seem well-regarded.

[GhostoftheBok]

He does seem well-regarded.

Makes their decision not to trigger his contract extension very odd, then.

[sonicthewhite]

He does seem well-regarded.

Makes their decision not to trigger his contract extension very odd, then.

I'm trying to do some digging on that.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

He does seem well-regarded.

Makes their decision not to trigger his contract extension very odd, then.

I mean well-regarded personally. I'm not saying he's a bad player, not at all (and not least because I don't know anything about him); but as their longest-server, he seems beloved around the club in a way that's reminiscent of, say, Harry Brockbank currently, except with a glory-days hinterland to rival John McGinlay (two titles, Wembley win) and, by all accounts, a lovely personal touch. It doesn't mean that a player they signed in non-league could make the step up to the Championship, which Lincoln clearly intend – and that's why, as he struggled with injury and the plague last season, they signed a surfeit of wingers.

[nicholaldo]

I think he only tended to make substitute appearances last season under Appleton so it seems logical he was released for purely footballing reasons. I did read, though, that the rumour is that one of the factors in the decision not to offer him a new contract was that if they did and he signed it they would have to pay a substantial fee to his previous club.

[GhostoftheBok]

Appleton got them into the play-offs, so it is hard to fault his decisions that season. Lad looks a strong, if one-paced runner and to have decent match awareness - but I'd like to see us get in a forward or two who have a chance of tearing the division up.

[GhostoftheBok]

I see Nixon is doing his usual ITK stuff. "Bolton are trying to sign Declan John but have another option"...

Barring a miracle with Gordon we need two left backs, of course we are trying for John and still have another option.

[Worthy4England]

Not sure he's any closer nor further away than our own eminent experts....just another guess amidst some long lists of well thought out and researched blc

[GhostoftheBok]

Not sure he's any closer nor further away than our own eminent experts....just another guess amidst some long lists of well thought out and researched blc

Absolutely. Obviously when we sign Matt Penney and Jerome Sinclair you heard it here first. Though of course we have other options and when they don't sign it'll be because of a last minute issue....or aliens or something.

[officer_dibble]

Appleton got them into the play-offs, so it is hard to fault his decisions that season. Lad looks a strong, if one-paced runner and to have decent match awareness - but I'd like to see us get in a forward or two who have a chance of tearing the division up.

The ideal for me would be a fast wide forward who offered a physical presence in the air - someone who could win headers at the back post. So many of our attacks last year were low crosses into the box - be nice to have someone we could hit earlier as an option. Easy for me to say!

[Worthy4England]

Not sure he's any closer nor further away than our own eminent experts....just another guess amidst some long lists of well thought out and researched blc

Absolutely. Obviously when we sign Matt Penney and Jerome Sinclair you heard it here first. Though of course we have other options and when they don't sign it'll be because of a last minute issue....or aliens or something.

Bit in the paper about those two?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Nixon tweets:

• Fleetwood. Keen on left back Max Clark. Free agent after spell at Hull. Bolton also keen if John doesn’t sign.

• Salford. Fighting Northampton for centre half Lloyd Jones. Free agent.

I've included Jones as he's been mentioned in dispatches here, rather than linked. Hull-born Clark is 25, and has also played on the left of midfield; he has no League One experience, having played 36 fourth-tier games plus 27 Champo, but back in 2017/18 - the first season after Hull dropped out of the Prem and were in all sorts of shapes. (Still managed to beat us 4-0 though.) His contract lapsed that summer and Hull wanted to keep him but he signed a three-year deal with Dutch top-flighters Vitesse Arnhem - note the Dutch influence, as per his potential BWFC team-mate Johnston; he was fairly regular in the first two seasons but not this time, and on winter deadline day he popped back home on the North Sea ferry for a four-month contract. He hasn't played competitively since February 2020 - was "nursing an injury" this spring but appeared for the U23s.

[brommers95]

Nixon tweets:

• Fleetwood. Keen on left back Max Clark. Free agent after spell at Hull. Bolton also keen if John doesn’t sign.

• Salford. Fighting Northampton for centre half Lloyd Jones. Free agent.

I've included Jones as he's been mentioned in dispatches here, rather than linked. Hull-born Clark is 25, and has also played on the left of midfield; he has no League One experience, having played 36 fourth-tier games plus 27 Champo, but back in 2017/18 - the first season after Hull dropped out of the Prem and were in all sorts of shapes. (Still managed to beat us 4-0 though.) His contract lapsed that summer and Hull wanted to keep him but he signed a three-year deal with Dutch top-flighters Vitesse Arnhem - note the Dutch influence, as per his potential BWFC team-mate Johnston; he was fairly regular in the first two seasons but not this time, and on winter deadline day he popped back home on the North Sea ferry for a four-month contract. He hasn't played competitively since February 2020 - was "nursing an injury" this spring but appeared for the U23s.

Clark was somebody that piqued my interest yesterday when updating my ‘Released List’ spreadsheet, for no other reason than he’s a ‘good’ age and has played at a decent level in the Champ and Eridivisie.

Will have to do a bit more research into his numbers if this one has legs, but for now I’m just praying we get a DJ announcement soon. Although having said that, what’s to stop us signing both for some healthy competition?

[GhostoftheBok]

Clark, as with Penney and Sinclair, fits in with something that Evatt said which sounded meaningful rather than throw away and something he has said before in his career - he sees English players moving abroad to find regular football to be a sign of character. Obviously I pulled Penney and Sinclair out of my arse for a joke, but I chose them for that reason. Clark having played regularly in Dutch football will mean his technical game is where Evatt needs it to be. He can put a ball in, keeps it well etc, but always struck me as being held back from top level football due to his lack of pace. If he has injury issues now that's a concern.

[GhostoftheBok]

Although having said that, what’s to stop us signing both for some healthy competition?

Devil's Advocate time: Wages and the need to maintain dressing room harmony. My take on Tutte and Delaney being offered new deals is that Evatt trusts them to do a job in an emergency, but also not to rock the boat if they are not playing.

John would surely expect to come in as first choice and, having played at higher levels, you'd expect Clark would too. Evatt doesn't seem the type to mislead a player as to how much he expects them to start (obviously there's the old "do you trust yourself to win the shirt?"), but would they not both want assurances they'd be the regular starter before signing on?

[Prufrock]

There's also budget and where you put your eggs.

Wouldn't surprise me to see us sign left back cover, but also wouldn't surprise me if we've chucked a fair chunk at DJ and assuming he signs will look to get by with cover between Brocky, Gordon and Johnstone (who I read has played there before).

Gordon looked bobbins but moving North in a pandemic, playing on a struggling team, LWB (so a vital position). He's still only 22, and went back and had a seemingly storming time back in the National League on loan.

He's obviously not going to start the season first choice, but wouldn't surprise me if Evatt has a look at him in preseason.