Stickied League 2 Transfer Rumours/Confirmed Transfers 2024/25

[Richard Cranium]

We've got 24 players and one of those is Jack Thomas who will be out on loan soon. Not that big. The wage bill might be horrific mind.

 

[The Terminator]

A few rumours relevant to this league at our end.

We're in advanced talks to bring Dean Cox back from Crawley, Casey not sure of the details, but it would appear Crawley aren't playing him for financial reasons as he is on a big contract there in terms of wages. Steve Davis said at a fans forum on Tuesday that if he was to come back, it would have to be on a sensible package for us.

We're also after a target man from this league as well, I'd heard rumours we were after Paul Hayes - But I think this was a wind up more than anything, as he did start for Wycombe on Saturday.

 

[Conker]

Mansfields wage bill must be horrific. And team morale can easily dip with the amount of players on the books if you dont start shipping some out soon. Evans has always had this 'sign bloody everyone' approach.

Interesting that Sonny Bradley is left footed. As NJ likes a balanced back 4, Sheehans place is a bit wobbly... Good game for him last week and awesome at set pieces but I wouldnt like to move forward past this level with him.

2.5m budget, paid a six figure fee for Angol too, and one for Hayden White in that figure.

Our squad is currently at a good size if we want to compete this season.

 

[Judge Dredd]

I believe that Hibs bid £250k for him, maybe there's a release clause in his contract?

Cambridge's chief exec rubbished the £250k rumour if memory serves, said that no fee was ever agreed with any club so I think that number (the lowness of which prompted the release clause speculation) was just Twitter bollocks. If he had a release clause that low he wouldn't be handing in a transfer request and sacrificing any loyalty bonuses etc, he'd just have his agent out there making his availability known surely.

 

[Judge Dredd]

We have just announced the signing of defender Mark Roberts, from Cambridge United, on a one year contract. I have probably seen him play several times already, given the different clubs he has played for in his career, but if he looks anything like his picture on Wikipedia I can't honestly remember.

When he was at Stevenage in the Conference he had a mop of bleach blonde hair if I'm remembering rightly. Of course back then he could actually run too.

 

[Luke Imp]

We have just announced the signing of defender Mark Roberts, from Cambridge United, on a one year contract. I have probably seen him play several times already, given the different clubs he has played for in his career, but if he looks anything like his picture on Wikipedia I can't honestly remember.

Very good defender when we were last in L2 and moved up to L1 with Fleetwood I think. Must be getting on a bit.

 

[Luke Imp]

Seems Dave Tarpey of Maidenhead turned down Coventry in the summer:

http://www.thenonleaguefootballpape...early-to-travel-225-miles-and-bag-four-goals/

"Tarpey almost wasn’t playing in the National League at all this season.

He made a huge decision in the summer, and honestly doesn’t know if it’s one he’ll live to regret.

“I went up to Coventry City, had a tour of the ground and facilities and then sat down with them,” said the former Hampton &?Richmond, Farnborough and Aylesbury United forward.

“They made me an offer, and I had to weigh it up. When it came down to it, I just couldn’t make it work.

“I would have had to leave my job obviously, and also relocate. Relocation wasn’t the issue, but I have a mortgage and without going into exact figures I would have been worse off.

“When you look at it, I earn from working full-time, playing at Maidenhead and I would have had to stay in Coventry for a good part of the week. I don’t rent down here, so it was a big decision.

“It’s not all about money. But I have a young boy called Jack who is 19 months old, a fiancée and I can’t afford to just say ‘sod it, I’ll earn less money’ – life doesn’t work like that and I had to be sensible about the whole situation and not dive in head-first.

“It was one of those things, I had to turn it down and only time will tell if that was the right thing to do. I know Coventry are a big club so I had to really think long and hard about it. In the end it just couldn’t work, however hard I tried to make things come together."

 

[Conker]

If he does well again this season he will be offered a no brainer.

Happens a lot at that level, especially considering some clubs will pay you £500 quid a week to play part-time on top of your actual job.

 

[Laker]

Cambridge's chief exec rubbished the £250k rumour if memory serves, said that no fee was ever agreed with any club so I think that number (the lowness of which prompted the release clause speculation) was just Twitter bollocks. If he had a release clause that low he wouldn't be handing in a transfer request and sacrificing any loyalty bonuses etc, he'd just have his agent out there making his availability known surely.

Yep that's our understanding too and all our fans were shocked/appalled etc when that fee was banded about!

 

[Laker]

We have just announced the signing of defender Mark Roberts, from Cambridge United, on a one year contract. I have probably seen him play several times already, given the different clubs he has played for in his career, but if he looks anything like his picture on Wikipedia I can't honestly remember.

He's a really nice bloke who has bags of experience and has played at the top of League 1. But his legs have gone and he was worth a mistake a match. Despite the fact we literally had no other senior centre backs besides him and Leon Legge, he still wasn't getting picked for us which tells you a lot. I wish him all the best though.

 

[WH_Stag]

No way we'd spend 750k on someone to come off the bench everytime we get a penalty...

Tbf if thats the plan, he'll get to take an incredible amount of pens if Hylton is playing regularly

 

[Indian Dan]

Yep that's our understanding too and all our fans were shocked/appalled etc when that fee was banded about!

Most fans have an inflated opinion of their player's worth. We were shocked when we sold Ajose to Charlton. League 1's leading scorer in an average side sold for £400,000. In hindsight that was about right. Done fuck all since.

Many players at this level don't progress no matter how good we think they are.

 

[Hatter86]

Tbf if thats the plan, he'll get to take an incredible amount of pens if Hylton is playing regularly

Not now with retrospective bans...

 

[Hatter86]

Sky Sports Pete O'Rourke has tweeted we have offered £250k for Sonny Bradley. He's called a few of our transfers this summer and is pretty reliable. Story also says we have had two previous bids turned down for him. No suggestion it has been accepted.

 

[Smurf]

I imagine it will be back and forth and the 250k will be rejected. Depends on the players willingness on the move I guess.

 

[Judge Dredd]

Doubt we'd be making a third big money bid if we hadn't had some kind of indication that the player himself was interested. Seems a bit weird though seeing as he was linked with Leeds a few weeks back, why would he drop down a level?

Also seen on the Cambridge forum our very own SVH (I assume it's the same one anyway!) claiming that Berry has had a medical with Luton today, don't believe that at all but wouldn't exactly be unhappy if he was correct.

 

[Bosox]

Pete O'Rourke (not actually at Sky Sports anymore) very popular with Luton fans tonight, now he's reporting that Luton have agreed a fee for Berry.
https://twitter.com/SportsPeteO/status/900831729463775232

 

[CCFC_Charlie]

Carl Baker has been told he can leave by Pompey. Our fans want him back, he wants to come back, all a question of whether we can a) afford him and b) Robins wants him

 

[Judge Dredd]

Well fcuk me sideways.

I have seen O'Rourke get one or two things wrong with us involved but more often than not he is on the money, and this summer has broken more than one of our transfers so whilst not definitive, that does sound promising.

Wonder what the fee is and if we are prepared to finance whatever that is costing AND the Sonny Bradley deal as well? Not like we can't afford it with just the Vassell money alone (with seven figures still in change afterwards) but I didn't expect us to go out spending big like this. Surely will see a couple of squad players moved on, maybe Gambin as he can't seem to get a game (although I'd much prefer we got rid of Cook...).

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

That would be a pretty amazing turn of events if he does come here. He's better as a number 10 isn't he?Not sure it's necessarily a need as Shinnie is decent and you wouldn't imagine he'll sit on the bench! I wonder if we are going to make him play as one of the centre midfield players in the diamond.

And if we sign Bradley as well? Knew we have some money but not that much!

 

[CCFC_Charlie]

If Luton sign Berry and Bradley then the rest of us might as well be playing for 2nd place

 

[SVH]

250k for Berry. He's got a release clause in his contract.

Had his medical at Luton today.

 

[Hatter86]

Is this release clause actually a thing? I hope I'm wrong but I just don't see this one happening.

Twitter has just exploded mind. Trying to talk down our chances and dismiss it as bullshit but I appear to be losing...

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Yeah I'm still not sure I actually believe any of this to be honest! The 250k figure in particular would be crazy from a Cambridge perspective.

I know GS and Jones have been telling a few porkies this summer about is selling players, Vassell being the main example, but didn't that George guy at Cambridge say he wouldn't go to a League 2 club? Surely there would be a huge backlash from U's fans, justifiably IMO. At least we ended up selling Vassell for decent money to a team 2 leagues above.

And surely there are bigger clubs further up in league 1/championship more than happy to fork out 250k for a player of his calibre so why would he choose us?

Don't know, seems a bit too good to be true really.

 

[Hatter86]

Fairly sure George said they wouldn't sell to League 2 club and there was no fee agreed with Hibernian, this dismissing a release clause. Could all be lies.

If we sign him it would be a massive coup. And Bradley? Crazy.

 

[Judge Dredd]

That would be a pretty amazing turn of events if he does come here. He's better as a number 10 isn't he?Not sure it's necessarily a need as Shinnie is decent and you wouldn't imagine he'll sit on the bench! I wonder if we are going to make him play as one of the centre midfield players in the diamond.

Well either him or Shinnie will have to play deeper so it'll be interesting to see how we set up *if* it is true. Shinnie does tend to roam quite a lot I've noticed, comes a lot deeper and wider looking for the ball than McGeehan ever did as he's more of a playmaker type so might be a case of swapping around mid-game as and when the situation demands.

Wonder who will be the one dropped? Lee is in the form of his life but Pelly offers something completely different and is also in good form. I suppose both would still get plenty of game time as McCormack won't play 90 minutes every game and Pelly has always looked good playing that role, Lee not so much but he can do it. Ridiculous depth there really.

And if we sign Bradley as well? Knew we have some money but not that much!

*If* the rumoured fees are accurate (and that's a big if) and *if* we get these two deals done (another big if), you'd be looking at a total outlay of around £750k in fees for Collins, Berry and Bradley - that would still leave us with around a million quid from the Vassell deal alone allegedly, without even factoring in the Marriott and McGeehan money. It does sound perfectly feasible in that context but I would never have expected us to spend so much in one window at this level.

Was perfectly happy with out squad as it was to be honest, was expecting a quiet last week of the window so this is quite fun. Surely Mullins and at least one midfielder (would guess Gambin the most vulnerable which is a shame as I like him) will be on the way out if these two go through, and probably Musonda and/or Famewo out on loan too.

 

[Hatter86]

I'm not sure how they would play together. I reckon Shinnie could play deeper however he is fairly lightweight. Would be harsh to drop Pelly or Lee at the moment.

You'd have to think it would be Gambin that is off. Hasn't really had a chance but just doesn't fit in to the diamond. Could go to Cambs as part of the deal? They have been playing 442 and playing Berry our of position on the wing.

Bradley would be quality and it would definitely be Mullins off. He's on the slide. I reckon it would be 2 out of Sheehan, Cuthbert and Bradley with Rea used as cover at CB and for McCormack who isn't going to play every game.

The money is definitely there to do both deals, I just can't believe we will actually do it. Would still be plenty left over if they come for the rumoured price. Let's not forget we got another 400k from the Andre deal this summer. It's crazy to think we have a better squad than last year, a lower wage bill (confirmed by GS) and over £3m transfer profit this summer as it stands.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Was expecting a fair chunk of that money we have made on transfers to go to other places, given the massive outlay by those behind the scenes with the new stadium, the training ground etc rather than reinvested in the squad. Not complaining just a bit stunned by it all... if it's true of course!

 

[Judge Dredd]

Yeah been some summer. Doubt the wage bill will be lower than last season for much longer if these rumours pan out!

Gambin to Cambridge could be a good shout actually, if they are back to playing 4-4-2 they could do a lot worse. Agreed that Mullins' days are numbered, clearly fourth choice currently so if Bradley comes in that'll be that. Also wouldn't be shocked to see a loan for Jack Senior if Bradley signs. Sheehan is a favourite and will double as a left back option to get him game time, even when Potts was injured for a relatively meaningless game vs Ipswich Jones played Sheehan there rather than Senior. He looked good when called upon last season but seems to have fallen right out of favour. We'd still have Famewo around too.

 

[Vanni]

I think I'd rather Luton give us Gambin and a couple of half decent youngsters than cash* for Berry tbh. IMO, our squad's severely lacking in quality right now.

*if it's really £250000 that is. I really don't trust our manager and Jez to spend that money wisely.