Chris Cohen has reassured Lincoln City supporters that further transfer business is expected before the end of the summer window, although there is no guarantee that new arrivals will be completed before Saturday’s Championship opener against Derby County.
The Imps have already added to the squad ahead of their return to the second tier, with Joe Gauci, Andrei Coubis and Mason Melia among those brought in during the summer. However, chief executive Liam Scully recently revealed that the club still had several deals lined up, while sporting director Jez George continues to work on strengthening the group available to Cohen and Tom Shaw.
Speaking ahead of the trip to Pride Park, Cohen told Imps+ that the management team remain confident in the club’s recruitment process.
“We’ve said it to you before, and it sounds a bit boring, but we speak to Jez all the time about it. Me and Tom have both got complete trust in the recruitment process.
“We all believe that, by the end of the window, we’ll have a squad we’re really, really happy with. Whether that’s this weekend or next weekend, we know it’s going to happen. We trust that the club will do it at the right time. There are so many things that go into when those moments happen.”
City have been patient in the market, with Scully previously explaining that some of the proposed deals are dependent on other moves taking place. Cohen echoed that message, stressing that transfer situations can change quickly and that firm timescales are difficult to provide.
“They’re so fluid, these things. It could be tomorrow morning, it could be Monday morning, or it could obviously run to the back end of August.
“Where we’re fortunate is that we’ve got a group of players who did incredibly well last year and who we trust implicitly. We know that, if we go into Derby with the squad we’ve got now, we’re going there to try to win the football match.”
That faith in the existing squad is important after last season’s League One title success, but the step up to the Championship means further depth is still likely to be required across several areas. Cohen made it clear that any additions before the weekend would be welcomed, while again placing his trust in George and the board.
“If we can add some numbers before then, great. As I said before, we know that Jez and the board know exactly what they’re doing and when they’re going to do it.”
The message is therefore one of patience rather than inactivity. City are continuing to pursue reinforcements, but Chris appears comfortable starting the season with the players currently at his disposal if the right deals are not ready in time.
Also, being honest, supporters would take a 4-0 thumping on Saturday if we could take a point at the Riverside with a few new faces on August 15th.
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