Window may be closed - but Town could still seal a deal for free agent
SEVEN PLAYERS THE MARINERS COULD SWOOP FOR...
WITH the transfer window closed, Grimsby Town manager Ian Holloway now has his squad assembled for the rest of the season - or at least until January.
The Mariners boss won’t be able to dip back into the market until the New Year, with the next window opening on January 2 and closing on February 1.
There is, though, another option should Holloway want to add to his squad before then.
Here’s a look at seven free agents that available to the Mariners right now...
Rhys Bennett
The former Peterborough man would provide a versatile option for Holloway, which could prove to be vital in a season when fixtures are packed in tightly.
Bennett - who was released by the Posh earlier this year - is a centre-back by trade, but can also be deployed at full-back, or as a defensive midfielder, a role the Mariners look to be utilising this season with Danny Rose.
Having accumulated nearly 250 league appearances for Rochdale, Mansfield and Peterborough, there’s no shortage of experience, and at 29 he certainly still has plenty of good years left in him.
Danny Rowe
Having had two loan spells away from Ipswich over the last couple of years, it perhaps seemed inevitable that Rowe would end up leaving the club at the end of his contract in the summer.
The 28-year-old might well have been hoping for a move to Lincoln, having spent time on loan at Sincil Bank in 2018 and 2019, but nothing has been forthcoming for the winger. Well, Blundell Park isn’t too far away from Lincoln if he’s looking to move back up this way - although having been at Ipswich, he might well be out of Town’s price range when it comes to wages.
Krystian Pearce
A mainstay of Mansfield’s defence over the last five years, it’s somewhat of a surprise to learn that Pearce is without a club at the moment.
Having been the Stags’ club captain, the 30-year-old was perhaps one of the last names you’d have expected to have been released. But having been transfer-listed by Graham Coughlan in January, the writing was perhaps on the wall - he’d certainly make a solid signing for whoever snaps him up next.
Hope Akpan
Town certainly aren’t short of midfielders after this summer’s business, although if they’re after a more permanent addition, Akpan could be an option.
The Nigerian international is available after being released by Bradford City after the 2019/20 season was curtailed.
The former Everton trainee is certainly worth a look for League Two clubs, although with plenty of options in the middle of the park, the Mariners probably won’t need to.
Billy Waters
Town are well-stocked up front now after the addition of Virgil Gomis on deadline day, but should Holloway want to add to his
Rhys Bennett options, Waters could be a genuine option. He’s available after being released by Northampton following their promotion to League One, and his ties to the area mean he a move to Town might not be out of the question. His father and grandmother are both Grimsby natives, and he was once even a mascot for the Mariners, so perhaps a return to Blundell Park is long overdue.
Rhys Browne
A name Town fans will be familiar with, Browne’s departure from Port Vale came as
something of a surprise, not least for manager John Askey.
The winger had been rewarded with a new one-year deal during the summer, but then requested to leave the club in August for what Askey believed to be “family reasons”. Once Browne is ready to return to football, there might be some Town fans eager to see him return to the club, having only seen a glimpse of him during the 2016/17 season.
Bradley Garmston
There are still a few former Town players
Billy Waters searching for a new club after being released earlier this year.
Elliot Grandin is still on the lookout, but perhaps the player of the most interest to Town is Bradley Garmston, who didn’t get much of a chance to impress before the 2019/20 season was curtailed due to the pandemic.
With Joey Hope out on loan, Danny Preston is the only natural left-back currently available, meaning Garmston is certainly a viable option should Holloway want to add more players.
Hope Akpan