Hopper on hold as Stags chase final targets

As they prepared for tonight’s Carabao Cup first round visit of Rochdale, Stags were still waiting to hear from their chief striker target, revealed this week to be Scunthorpe United’s Tom Hopper.

But, with other deals are in the pipeline, Stags will not wait forever for a decision with the first week of August already gone.

Assistant manager Paul Raynor said on Monday: “The gaffer is working incredibly hard with the chief executive and the chairman to try to get us some additions.

“But they have to be the right people, they have to be at the price, and they have to want to come.

“So there are lots of aspects. But we are still working very hard behind the scenes to get some new additions into the football club.

“Sometimes it can just take phone phone call and the process can start – one positive response from a club that we make the call on.”

Stags said last week that they had a bid for a striker accepted by his club, revealed over the weekend to be Scunthorpe’s 23-year-old frontman Hopper.

But they said the player had asked for time to mull over the transfer with his family.

Scunthorpe boss Graham Alexander told BBC Radio Humberside on Monday that there had been no further developments with Hopper over his decision on the potential move.

Hopper began his career at Boston United, becoming Boston’s youngest ever player when aged 15 he came on as a substitute for the final 13 minutes of a 2–1 Challenge Cup victory over Hucknall Town.

In the summer of 2010, Hopper signed for Leicester City’s youth team and after loan spells at Bury and Scunthorpe, made a permanent move to the Iron in June 2015.

But he is not the only name on Stags’ wanted list of strikers and boss Evans has also said he’d like to bring in at attacking midfielder as well.

Mansfield began the new season with an exciting 2-2 draw at Crewe Alexander on Saturday, twice having to fight back from behind.