Football League World
·4 August 2024
Football League World
·4 August 2024
The Hatters have recruited excellently this summer, but could still look for the final icing on the cake ahead of the League One opener
Stockport County wasted no time concluding the main portion of their summer transfer business early in the window, but there is still time for the club to add some potentially important final touches.
Director of football, Simon Wilson, has overseen an influx of promising young talent at Edgeley Park, all looking for a stage to prove themselves on and feeling like County could be the venue to do so.
Thanks to the efficiency of Wilson and his team, the team looks strong in every department and are as ready as they're ever likely to be for the tough third-tier challenge ahead.
However, there are always ways to sprinkle more quality on a side, so Football League World have taken a look at two deals the Hatters would be wise to conclude ahead of their first League One outing next season.
With many new faces entering Edgeley Park ahead of their first campaign back in League One, pre-season has been a worthy watch to see them all in action together for the first time.
A secondary storyline that has been of some interest, however, is the calibre of trialists the club have brought in to take a look at, one of which being former Newcastle United man Dwight Gayle.
He pulled on a shirt and played an hour for County in their friendly against Blackburn Rovers, spearheading the attack, before he was brought off midway through the second half to allow other players to pick up minutes.
On account of having a number of trialists and young prospects playing, the Hatters had some nice periods of possession but lacked killer potency going forward.
Despite that, Gayle looked sharp when he did get a touch, used his body well to cause problems for the defence and won fouls in dangerous areas.
What was also notable was the relationship he looked like he'd already built with younger players like Ethan Pye, who looked deep in conversation about the match as they came off the pitch at half-time.
In terms of out-and-out strikers, another operator in this role would likely be welcomed, with Tanto Olaofe heading into the season with an injury, Michael Mellon picking up a knock in the friendly against Stoke City and Jack Stretton withdrawing in discomfort in this match against Rovers.
To have someone with Gayle's back catalogue in the building, guiding the younger players as County continue trying to scale the English pyramid, feels like a no-brainer on a free transfer.
Having dropped down to the third tier for the first time last year with Derby County, Gayle has already proved what he can do given relatively little time.
He managed six appearances for the Rams, but in those games, comprising just 325 minutes, he registered three goals and one assist.
That efficiency, mixed with the top-level experience he would bring to the camp, looks like a smart deal for relatively little outlay.
A loan move that County could benefit from is Sunderland's Romaine Mundle.
He arrived at the Stadium of Light at the beginning of this year from Belgian side Standard Liege, having come through the academy ranks at Tottenham Hotspur.
Clearly highly rated by the Black Cats, the young winger was afforded a four-and-a-half-year deal on joining the club.
Despite that, he made just 11 Championship appearances in what was left of the season, and in Sunderland's final six games of the season, he only got onto the pitch once, for a total of nine minutes.
With Jack Clarke still at the club down one flank, and the newly recruited - and more experienced - Ian Poveda down the other, Mundle's access to first-team minutes may be diminished.
The Hatters have turned their focus to traditional wingers for the first time in a while this summer, bringing Jack Diamond and Jayden Fevrier to the club, but they are currently the only out-and-out widemen at the club. With County never far away from injury issues, any absence for that pair would likely lead to an enforced change of system, with opportunities for in-game changes also limited.
Bringing in the 21-year-old temporarily will likely see him afforded more minutes than he might get at Sunderland, who have a wealth of wingers.
It would suit County as they can continue to focus on the development of Fevrier and Diamond but would have quality competition in those wide areas in Mundle, who can play down both flanks. It would also work for his parent club as their young talent could continue developing for the future.