Stickied League 2 Transfer Rumours/Confirmed Transfers 2023/24

[GTFCfish]

Sell on clause news:
A few years ago we had this striker, Sam Cosgrove who we signed in the summer following his release from Wigan. Was just one of those young players you take a punt on that you get every season, he did enough in a trial to warrant a six-month contract and made three late appearances off the bench in the league during August as well as being brought on in extra-time in the EFL cup. I think HG said (correctly) that he'd looked out of his depth when he came on and was then dropped from the squad completely before returning to the bench but only making another late appearance.

Come January he'd played a grand total of 46 minutes in the league (thanks to transfermarkt for their super-detailed histories) and probably only touched the ball on a handful of occasions, and it would clear we wouldn't be renewing his contract. Then, I'm not sure what the reasons were but he was named in the starting line-up for a game at Mansfield with Richie Bennett and Hallam Hope both on the bench. We were mid-table at the time and I think probably struggling for goals, hence turning to someone new up front. We lost 3-1 (the goal coming from a Devitt penalty) but he impressed enough to be offered a contract until the end of the season. Keith Curle said of him,

'I thought he did very well and he was unlucky not to score. As we said when we signed him, he’s a player we feel could have a future in the game. He knows this is another opportunity to impress, and it’s up to him to force his way into the reckoning on a regular basis.'

Next game, at home to Crewe he scored in a 1-0 win and IIRC got man of the match. He made his third start the following week, but was then dropped back to the bench. Then, on transfer deadline day we announced his move to Aberdeen for a nominal fee reported to be £20,000. The club explained that we had approached him about extending his stay further only to find he had signed a pre-contract agreement with Aberdeen as Dons manager Derek McInnes was familar with him and wanted to sign him. McInnes was keen enough to get him up there that he approached us with an alternative to losing him for nothing in the summer. The transfer fee wasn't much but there was a sell-on clause attached and that convinced us that the best thing to do was accept the offer, after all he had only made three starts and scored one goal in his time with us.

Aberdeen's eagerness to get him up there doesn't look that smart a move in retrospect as he struggled in that first half-season with them. He improved dramatically the following season, but Aberdeen would have had him anyway, and without having to pay money or offer a sell-on clause. He quickly became one of the top strikers in Scotland and even Bayern Munich were reportedly interested at one point.

Anyhoo, that's a lot of rambling but it's just a really unusual situation given his short time with us. The sell on clause has been reported as 20% or potentially as high as 40% of whatever profit Aberdeen make on the sale. Well Birmingham City have just forked out two million for him. So we could be getting a cheque for somewhere in the region of £400,000 to £800,000.

That'll do nicely... thank you Keith Curle for spotting some potential in this lad, even if it did little good for us on the pitch, and thank you Derek McInnes for being so keen to sign him that you were willing to sign over a significant chunk of your future earnings just to have him for an extra six months.

We have a 25% sell on on Dembele at Peterborough and last month he handed in a transfer request.
Keeerching.

 

[masi51]

Looking at Declan John's career though, you do have to wonder if he isn't showing the potential he had when he was playing in the Premier League, considering he's been gradually moving down the divisions and is now being loaned into League Two.

Something amiss or he would be Swansea first choice left back.....He has been dogged with injuries
Pulled a hamstring with us on his first training session which kept him out until a cameo role Saturday.
Never seen him play bar 10 mins. Think he is on last chance saloon.

 

[Chris FGR]

Seems we won't be signing anyone else, which means we'll end January with a weaker squad on paper.

Made a decent profit with the money from the Kitching and Winchester sales though. Cooper says he's hoping there'll be no last minute departures of any more of our better players, we can't really afford to lose anyone else if we want to stay in contention.

 

[pontoonlew]

Sell on clause news:

A few years ago we had this striker, Sam Cosgrove who we signed in the summer following his release from Wigan. Was just one of those young players you take a punt on that you get every season, he did enough in a trial to warrant a six-month contract and made three late appearances off the bench in the league during August as well as being brought on in extra-time in the EFL cup. I think HG said (correctly) that he'd looked out of his depth when he came on and was then dropped from the squad completely before returning to the bench but only making another late appearance.

Come January he'd played a grand total of 46 minutes in the league (thanks to transfermarkt for their super-detailed histories) and probably only touched the ball on a handful of occasions, and it would clear we wouldn't be renewing his contract. Then, I'm not sure what the reasons were but he was named in the starting line-up for a game at Mansfield with Richie Bennett and Hallam Hope both on the bench. We were mid-table at the time and I think probably struggling for goals, hence turning to someone new up front. We lost 3-1 (the goal coming from a Devitt penalty) but he impressed enough to be offered a contract until the end of the season. Keith Curle said of him,

'I thought he did very well and he was unlucky not to score. As we said when we signed him, he’s a player we feel could have a future in the game. He knows this is another opportunity to impress, and it’s up to him to force his way into the reckoning on a regular basis.'

Next game, at home to Crewe he scored in a 1-0 win and IIRC got man of the match. He made his third start the following week, but was then dropped back to the bench. Then, on transfer deadline day we announced his move to Aberdeen for a nominal fee reported to be £20,000. The club explained that we had approached him about extending his stay further only to find he had signed a pre-contract agreement with Aberdeen as Dons manager Derek McInnes was familar with him and wanted to sign him. McInnes was keen enough to get him up there that he approached us with an alternative to losing him for nothing in the summer. The transfer fee wasn't much but there was a sell-on clause attached and that convinced us that the best thing to do was accept the offer, after all he had only made three starts and scored one goal in his time with us.

Aberdeen's eagerness to get him up there doesn't look that smart a move in retrospect as he struggled in that first half-season with them. He improved dramatically the following season, but Aberdeen would have had him anyway, and without having to pay money or offer a sell-on clause. He quickly became one of the top strikers in Scotland and even Bayern Munich were reportedly interested at one point.

Anyhoo, that's a lot of rambling but it's just a really unusual situation given his short time with us. The sell on clause has been reported as 20% or potentially as high as 40% of whatever profit Aberdeen make on the sale. Well Birmingham City have just forked out two million for him. So we could be getting a cheque for somewhere in the region of £400,000 to £800,000.

That'll do nicely... thank you Keith Curle for spotting some potential in this lad, even if it did little good for us on the pitch, and thank you Derek McInnes for being so keen to sign him that you were willing to sign over a significant chunk of your future earnings just to have him for an extra six months.

This stinks of Birmingham soon finding out how shite the SPL is

 

[Gladders]

We need a striker who can score, possibly two, and a decent defender minimum.

Looking likely Coke will be signing and strong rumours that LJL is now coming too.

Happy with LJL, might relieve some pressure on the defence as hopefully the ball will stick up front a lot more than it does now. Still need a goalscorer though, whether that is Payne we will have to see, but prefer someone else.

 

[Bottega Don]

We still need quite a few players I would say. I would like another striker but I suppose with Loft's sudden upturn in form, Van Veen returning soon and Olomola at some point Cox might think we're okay.

Our issue is offloading players, we have far too much deadweight that nobody wants because they're shite.

 

[masi51]

We still need quite a few players I would say. I would like another striker but I suppose with Loft's sudden upturn in form, Van Veen returning soon and Olomola at some point Cox might think we're okay.

Our issue is offloading players, we have far too much deadweight that nobody wants because they're shite.

I think most teams in the bottom 10 have that problem we certainly do
Barrow have 34 over 21s they will have to de register at least 10 tomorrow night

 

[AR27]

We've released defender Tyler French as he's got a national league move lined up. Not really had a chance since the managerial change but was one of our better players early on this season. Should be a solid player for this level and the one below.

 

[AR27]

Busy Sunday night for us as Dylan Mottley-Henry has now left the club. Absolutely terrible player and the last piece of deadwood now binned off.

 

[Luke Imp]

Can Newport fans tell me about Regan Poole? We signed him yesterday from MK Dons.

 

[shoddycollins]

Something amiss or he would be Swansea first choice left back.....He has been dogged with injuries
Pulled a hamstring with us on his first training session which kept him out until a cameo role Saturday.
Never seen him play bar 10 mins. Think he is on last chance saloon.

Injuries makes sense. A decent number of the players who really shine in this division have had problems with injury in the past. You can get some real talented players down here if you take a chance on them. You found that out with Arthur Gnahuoa.

 

[Boz]

Busy Sunday night for us as Dylan Mottley-Henry has now left the club. Absolutely terrible player and the last piece of deadwood now binned off.

We had him on loan in the NL when he did very well for us, then less successfully in L2. Surprised he’s prompted that strong a negative reaction from you, must really have gone downhill.

 

[Back in the DHSS]

Really likeable lad Dylan Mottley Henry. Hope he finds another club and rediscovers the form he showed first time around with us.

 

[GTFCfish]

The shop has returned.

 

[chipmunx]

The shop has returned.

that's a bit cryptic for non Grimsby fans....

 

[pontoonlew]

that's a bit cryptic for non Grimsby fans....

Lenell John-Lewis, Hurst loves the bloke. I openly do not and I really can’t see how it’s anything but a signing based on false nostalgia from failed seasons in Non League.

I said back then on a regular basis that we’d never get promoted with LJL up top and we didn’t, I firmly believe we won’t stay up with him playing every week either.

We are where we are and I hope to god he proves me wrong this time, because the thought of Non League again brings a genuine tear to my eye.

 

[chipmunx]

Lenell John-Lewis, Hurst loves the bloke. I openly do not and I really can’t see how it’s anything but a signing based on false nostalgia from failed seasons in Non League.

I said back then on a regular basis that we’d never get promoted with LJL up top and we didn’t, I firmly believe we won’t stay up with him playing every week either.

We are where we are and I hope to god he proves me wrong this time, because the thought of Non League again brings a genuine tear to my eye.

Ah - ok - i think Charles Vernam would have made more sense - he did look good in his short NL loan spell at Chorley last season

 

[Gladders]

Lenell John-Lewis, Hurst loves the bloke. I openly do not and I really can’t see how it’s anything but a signing based on false nostalgia from failed seasons in Non League.

I said back then on a regular basis that we’d never get promoted with LJL up top and we didn’t, I firmly believe we won’t stay up with him playing every week either.

We are where we are and I hope to god he proves me wrong this time, because the thought of Non League again brings a genuine tear to my eye.

Despite the fact after his season with us he earnt himself a deal with a FL club played with them until injured then Hurst took him to Shrewsbury, played up top with Payne and made the lge 1 play offs. Was released mid-season last year and moved to local Hereford. Covid happens so stays with them.

Hurst seems to get the best out of him, confident he will again, yes he's not a goalscorer which is the main attribute of a striker but he brings so much more than that. One of our biggest issues this season is keeping the ball in the opponent's half, he will help in a big way with that, more than Hanson, as Hanson wins headers but doesn't hold the ball up, LJL does.

Don't think much will save us this season, but believe LJL is better than what we currently have so happy with the signing considering its deadline day and options are limited.

 

[Gladders]

Ah - ok - i think Charles Vernam would have made more sense - he did look good in his short NL loan spell at Chorley last season

Vernam came back from Chorley and was our best player, we then refuse to give him a tiny pay rise in the summer and he leaves. Hurst says he doesn't want to come back, can't think why.....

 

[pontoonlew]

Despite the fact after his season with us he earnt himself a deal with a FL club played with them until injured then Hurst took him to Shrewsbury, played up top with Payne and made the lge 1 play offs. Was released mid-season last year and moved to local Hereford. Covid happens so stays with them.

Hurst seems to get the best out of him, confident he will again, yes he's not a goalscorer which is the main attribute of a striker but he brings so much more than that. One of our biggest issues this season is keeping the ball in the opponent's half, he will help in a big way with that, more than Hanson, as Hanson wins headers but doesn't hold the ball up, LJL does.

Don't think much will save us this season, but believe LJL is better than what we currently have so happy with the signing considering its deadline day and options are limited.

There’s a lot of false narratives that go with LJL for me, but let’s face it, everyone wants him to do well so I hope it works out.

As for Vernam, a classic Grimsby situation which fans inexplicably praised at the time.

There’s a whisper going round about Jon Nolan that appears to be getting louder...

 

[AR27]

We had him on loan in the NL when he did very well for us, then less successfully in L2. Surprised he’s prompted that strong a negative reaction from you, must really have gone downhill.

He works hard to be fair to him, but sadly he's nowhere near the level for league football. The amount of times he miscontrolled and ran the ball out out of play was frightening.

Now gone to Larne in Northern Ireland.

 

[Conker]

Lucas Akins likely to sign for Mansfield soon, I’m happy with that, hopefully one more in too.

O’Driscoll is likely to head out on loan if the conference carries on, so with him and agent Rollin getting Grimsby relegated for accusing us of putting the sprinklers on the other year we will probably need another CB.

 

[pontoonlew]

Joe Adams also signing today from Brentford.

Ive a feeling he won’t be the last

 

[dedwardp]

There’s a lot of false narratives that go with LJL for me, but let’s face it, everyone wants him to do well so I hope it works out.

As for Vernam, a classic Grimsby situation which fans inexplicably praised at the time.

There’s a whisper going round about Jon Nolan that appears to be getting louder...

Getting the gang back together. Nsiala will be back.

 

[Luke Imp]

Getting the gang back together. Nsiala will be back.

They've got a mistake ridden defence as it is without adding him to it!

 

[valefan16]

We have enquired about a striker apparently... considering we have more leaks than a sieve the rumour mill is very quiet as to who.

 

[chipmunx]

We have enquired about a striker apparently... considering we have more leaks than a sieve the rumour mill is very quiet as to who.

probably a certain ex-Vale striker who isn't in the Barrow team at present - but has 5 goals in L2 this season

 

[Bottega Don]

Huge signing for Grimsby. Can't believe they've beaten out the likes of Gloucester City to bring him in, very impressive.

 

[pontoonlew]

Jake Eastwood the next to come in. We’ve badly needed a keeper after McKeown went from the leagues best to the leagues worst somehow.

 

[valefan16]

probably a certain ex-Vale striker who isn't in the Barrow team at present - but has 5 goals in L2 this season

Would doubt it. Would lean more towards a youngster on loan.