Stags making progress with transfer target

Mansfield Town boss Steve Evans hopes to have signed another player before Saturday's derby with Notts County.
Mansfield Town manager, Steve Evans.Mansfield Town manager, Steve Evans.
Mansfield Town manager, Steve Evans.

Evans revealed how the club had missed out on one of their targets this week but were making progress with a second ahead of the showdown at Meadow Lane.

Stags have already seen four players come through the One Call Stadium entrance this month as Evans continues to re-shape his squad during the transfer window.

Evans said: “We’re working really hard. I’ve had chats with managers from levels above and representatives. I think we’re making real progress, with a view to something maybe happening Wednesday or Thursday to see if we can add them to the squad for Notts County.”

The club made two written offers for players last week but as one given the chance to play higher up the leagues Stags may have to be patient with the other.

“One’s decided to go somewhere else, so he’s away,” said Evans. “The other one, they’re (player’s club is) trying to do some business and our offer would be acceptable but they’re trying to get someone in.

“We’re in a little bit of a chain and that tends to be (the case) when you are in League Two. A lot of times if you’re in the Championship, you’re controlling a lot of it because you’re the head of that chain, but it’s no different to house moves.

“We’re in a chain and we’ve got a manager saying if he gets his target, we can have ours. Ours, in respect of his personal terms with his representatives when we were given permission to speak, is done. It’s a case of the other club getting their business done.”

While four have arrived, four have left the club this month and there could yet be more as Evans looks to balance the numbers in his squad.

He added: “We want some movement in and out. You can’t keep adding at the top and forgetting the bottom end. Four have come in and four have gone out. We have to balance it and our squad was pretty high in terms of numbers. We can’t be running with 26-27 players.”