County boss lining up his top targets
WITH all eyes on a potentially busy summer at Edgeley Park, transfer business is due to begin shortly for League Two new boys County - with a host of new faces being linked with Dave Challinor’s side.
The Hatters are believed to be leading the race to sign Notts County striker Kyle Wootton and Torquay United attacking midfielder Connor Lemonheigh-Evans, with the National League pair both out of contract at their current clubs.
Challinor is also reported to be targeting no fewer than three defenders to bolster a backline which has already seen the departure of captain Liam Hogan, at the conclusion of Hogan’s Edgeley Park deal.
A move to bring Hull City loanee Andy Cannon back to Edgeley Park on a permanent deal has not been ruled out, whilst departing Fleetwood Town midfielder Callum Camps is also a target.
Announcements of incomings and outgoings alike are set to take off shortly after the Jubilee Weekend and the National League promotion final between Solihull Moors and Grimsby Town, with the make-up of all five of the top divisions then finalised and clubs and players more aware of their potential destinations.
For Challinor and company, whilst the County boss believes his current group of players can challenge for the League Two play-off positions, the groundwork is already well underway to sculpt a Hatters squad which can push on to compete with the very best of the fourth tier.
Even throughout The Hatters’ intense run-in to secure the National League title, talk was rife around Edgeley Park of the potential for a high turnover of players this summer – and, with five first-team squad members already released at the expiration of their contracts, there is likely to be more shuffling of the pack by Challinor and his recruitment team.
Starting from the back, as yet, there are no real indicators on whether heroic stopper Ben Hinchliffe will remain at Edgeley Park, after the club confirmed that a new deal is being discussed. Hinchliffe would be beginning his seventh season with The Hatters if he does opt to remain – but interest in the former Fylde ‘keeper will rightly be high from elsewhere.
Back-up goalkeeper Ethan Ross still has two years remaining on his current deal and joined in the National League title celebrations after completing a short loan spell at Aldershot Town to end the campaign.
Still at a good age and with plenty of potential, another loan spell away from the club for the coming season may be an option for Ross to continue to progress.
Fulham youngster Luca Ashby-Hammond completed a loan spell at Edgeley Park at the conclusion of the 2021/22 season and is very highly thought of at County. With a move seeming likely for a goalkeeper to challenge Hinchliffe if County’s current number one does opt to extend his stay at the club, Ashby-Hammond himself would be a logical incoming.
The Hatters have also been linked with Liverpool prospect Vit Jaros, who has now completed a loan spell at Notts County and caught the eye with a number of excellent saves at Edgeley Park in a 3-0 defeat for Notts during the run-in. The 20-year-old penned a long-term deal at Anfield back in the summer of 2020 and also spent time on loan at St Patrick’s Athletic, where he won the club’s Player of the Season gong in 2021.
All signs do point towards at least one new face between the sticks, with the ideal scenario for Hinchliffe to retain his number one spot for next season amidst strong competition from the sidelines.
The backline may be where County welcome the most new faces. The word for a while has been that as many as three centre-halves could come into the club over the summer.
Like Hinchliffe in goal, iconic defender Ash Palmer is in discussions with the club over new terms – although, again, there’ll be no shortage of interest in a man who has helped take County from the sixth tier back into the Football League, is revered at his current club, has been part of several County sides with stellar defensive records and has an eye for goal himself.
Centre-back Ben Barclay finds himself in a similar situation to Ethan Ross. Two years remaining on a deal signed last summer and ended this season out on loan in the National League, with another loan move away a possibility for the 25-yearold.
However, Barclay does have real pedigree having featured regularly for Accrington Stanley in what was the club’s highest ever finish of 11th in League One back in 2020/21, and his start to life with County was undeniably hindered by the baffling utilisation of the former Brighton man as a left-sided centre-half at the start of the campaign.
Left-sided Cheltenham Town defender Will Boyle, confirmed to be leaving the Gloucestershire side, has been linked but looks set to make an eye-catching return to beaten Championship play-off finalists Huddersfield Town.
As far as the central midfield options go, it’s hard to look past that trio of Will Collar, Ryan Croasdale and Antoni Sarcevic to continue doing what they do best in the Football League.
Croasdale played every single National League game of the season and still looked ready for more, whilst Collar and Sarcevic both provided real boosts upon their respective returns from suspension to end the campaign – with Collar scoring County’s final goal of that eleven-year stint in non-league.
But, in County’s final two games of the season, Challinor also showed that a midfield four was a viable approach, with Hull City loanee Cannon starting in both wins over Torquay United and Halifax alongside the aforementioned trio. Cannon returned to The Tigers at the conclusion of the campaign but appears ready to leave the Championship club – and it’s understood that County have not ruled out a permanent move for the popular central midfielder.
If, however, Cannon does move on elsewhere with plenty of Football League sides casting an eye over the 26-year-old, another midfield option could be Stockport-born Callum Camps, who The Hatters do have an interest in bringing in.
Camps is leaving current club Fleetwood this summer, but Joey Barton’s newly-promoted Bristol Rovers also retain a serious interest. Camps almost joined Rovers in January, but when Fleetwood opted against the deal, The Gas plumped for Newcastle United loanee Elliot Anderson.
Myles Hippolyte proved a complete revelation after joining from National League new boys Scunthorpe United earlier in the year, turning in a number of superb showings and scoring several crucial goals for The Hatters.
Hippolyte showed his worth in covering as a very capable left wingback during Ryan Rydel’s absence, and also featured in central midfield as the season came to an end.
The former Brentford prospect has been offered terms to remain at the club alongside Palmer and Hinchliffe and will be another important component of Challinor’s group moving forwards.
Up top, Paddy Madden is likely to be the man who captains Stockport County on what will be an emotional first day of the season back in the Football League. The Irishman is crucial to the side’s chances of further success.
The most common rumours so far in this close-season period have been those which link County to ‘target man’ type forwards, after an undeniably tough end to the campaign for Scott Quigley. But rewinding back to November 2021, few in this County side were as unplayable as the big striker.
A starring role in County’s memorable 5-3 FA Cup first round win over Bolton Wanderers was broadcast live across the country, where the former
Barrow man bullied an established League One defence on his way to two goals throughout 120 minutes of football. After a superb run of form around that time, an enforced absence from the side through illness undoubtedly knocked the 29-yearold off his stride.
However, it is clear that a striker is high up the list of priorities for The Hatters. There is genuine interest in Notts County striker Wootton, who is at the end of his current deal with the managerless National League side, and is believed to have been close to a move to Edgeley Park prior to the closure of the National League ‘transfer window’ back in March.
Regardless, it’s fair to say the interest is one which certainly dates back throughout the 2021/22 campaign.
New reports have also emerged linking Morecambe forward Cole Stockton with a move to Edgeley Park, with Stockton fresh from 26 goals in all competitions this season – but that one is less likely as things stand. The 28-year-old was a County target as recently as last year, but other options which the club will see as more viable ones look to be taking precedence.
Alex Reid was linked with a move away from the club during ‘transfer deadline day’ for National League clubs back in March, but nothing materialised - with the former Fylde forward restricted to appearances in the FA Trophy and County’s successful Cheshire Senior Cup campaign this season.
A move to pastures new looks to be the outcome this summer for Reid, who is only a year out from having scored 21 goals in all competitions in his debut season for the club and will certainly attract interest.