Whilst the rumours and transfer chatter is sure to start soon, there’s very little going around as we enter the middle of May.
It’s not unusual – nothing can be decided just yet; old contracts don’t expire until June, so there won’t be much movement. However, that doesn’t mean nothing is happening behind the scenes – there’s likely to be lots of activity. As retained lists come out, there are indications around players we might be interested in – and three names have stood out for me in the last couple of days. One has a grounding in a proper report, which I’ll cover here.
One news story that has gained traction from north of the border is our supposed interest in Tranmere Josh Dacres-Cogley. He’s a 27-year-old right-sided full-back who spent much of his career with Birmingham City. He’s out of contract this summer, and after impressing in League Two, he’s being tipped for a move up the divisions. He had been interesting Aberdeen, but they’ve pulled out of the race, which reportedly leaves us, Port Vale, and Burton Albion.
https://twitter.com/TRFCEveryDay/status/1558521980109955077
He started his career as a winger but transitioned to the right-back position due to his physical attributes. His breakthrough in professional football occurred during the 2016/17 season when he made 17 appearances under the management of Gary Rowett and later Gianfranco Zola, the Chelsea legend who took over midway through the campaign.
Sadly, the young defender quickly fell out of favor and only managed to add eight more appearances to his record over the subsequent three seasons. In the summer of 2019, he embarked on a loan spell with League Two side Crawley Town. Unfortunately, he struggled with injuries and appeared just 16 times before the season was suspended.
The following season he was released and subsequently joined Tranmere. Under the guidance of former manager Micky Mellon, he has made 91 appearances for the club, finding the net twice. This season, he has appeared 52 times in league and cup, operating almost exclusively as a right back – he’s missed just one league match for his club in two full seasons.
He certainly feels like the sort of player we might bring in, with a bit of experience, both above us and below us, and a wing. back who likes to get forward. Of course, as it is just the start of silly season, it remains to be seen if there’s any gravity behind the chatter, but I know y’all love a good transfer rumour,