The season draws closer and Town’s team continues to take shape. The midfield has been significantly improved, goals have been added at the top end and it now appears as if Town have 4 competent full-backs that could aide a promotion push (provided the Hayden Coulson deal is wrapped up soon). The arrival of George Edmundson is a huge boost to Town’s back-line and it’s finally looking as if we have a squad that is capable of pushing for promotion, if not more in the future.
Our current recruitment is the envy of all in League One, but I don’t think we’re done yet. With Town fans knowing too well how the bitter sting of injuries can curtail a promising campaign, it’s important that Town look at bolstering the depth of the squad. On paper, there isn’t a better starting eleven in the league, but the jigsaw is not yet complete.
In this final edition of Transfer Targets for the summer of 2021, I want to take a look at three players who could provide much-needed depth in key positions for Paul Cook’s promotion chasing side. In my opinion, there are three key areas that could use a little more depth: centre-back, central midfield, and wide players.
Picking one player for each position, taking into account Town’s current parameters for new signings, let’s wrap up this summer and bolster this squad.
Tom Lees
We’ll start with centre-half. Whilst Toto, Woolfenden and new signing Edmundson are all very capable centre-backs in their own right, it’s still widely considered that Town could use an extra, more experienced body at the back. For me, the ideal candidate is Tom Lees.
Formerly of Sheffield Wednesday, Lees is a prime example of an experienced defender with a plethora of leadership qualities. Captaining Wednesday on many occasions, Lees has made over 500 career appearances, the majority of which have come in the Championship.
Last season, despite Wednesday’s relegation from the second tier, Lees was an ever-present in their back-line and turned out some decent performances across a largely forgettable season. Amidst financial trouble, and with wage packets yet to arrive, Lees cut his ties with Wednesday and is now seeking pastures new.
Much like Luke Chambers, Lees is an exemplary professional who is seeking a fresh start. Chambers found his kicks in Colchester, and it may just be that Lees finds his new home in sunny Suffolk. Owing to poor pass completion statistics last season, Lees may fall short in the ‘marauding defender’ category, but there’s no doubt that his overall defensive attributes will be a massive bonus alongside Town’s current options.
As a player who has spent most of his time in the second-tier, it would be seen as somewhat of a coup for Town to attract Lees to Suffolk, but it’s move that doesn’t come without risk. The 30-year-old sustained a nasty injury towards the end of last campaign and whilst his appearance record would suggest he is far from injury prone, Town still might think twice about brining him in as a key member of their promotion hopeful side.
Regardless of your thoughts surrounding an experienced head that has just suffered a relegation, there is simply no doubting that Lees would bring quality and assurance to Town’s back line.
Jacob Davenport
I would argue that there isn’t a better midfield duo in the league than Rekeem Harper and Lee Evans, but I suppose I am biased. However, that doesn’t mean that Town don’t need alternate options to assure their midfield if things go wrong.
The reason I suggest a player like Davenport is because Town still need cover in the central areas. With Flynn Downes set to leave and Jon Nolan not pulling up any trees as a defensive midfielder, Davenport could be the ideal understudy that could be nurtured into an accomplished starter.
At only 22 and still attempting to find consistent first-team football at Blackburn, Davenport is yet to realise the potential that he showed during his time in Manchester City’s academy. Whilst his performances weren’t enough to force his way into Pep’s side, he made an impression on Mowbray and headed to the Lancashire club in 2018. Three years on, Davenport hasn’t been afforded the first team opportunities he so desperately craves, and with Blackburn hunting for new midfielders, it could be time for the versatile youngster to find a new home.
Could that place be Portman Road? With Town still looking for players that could fill multiple roles, and with Davenport also able to operate as a centre-half and left-back, as well as his more comfortable defensive midfield, he may just posses all the right attributes to be part of Cook’s Tractor conglomerate. Making 15 appearances last season, gaining an average rating of 6.50 (all stats according to WhoScored), Davenport still has plenty of time to find the class that allowed him to captain City’s academy side on many occasions.
Young, versatile and in desperate need of playing time in an expansive side, Davenport could be the final piece of Town’s midfield puzzle.
Ben Knight
What a return this would be. Three years on from his departure from Town’s academy, could 19-year-old Ben Knight return to Suffolk and fulfil what he was always meant to do, aide success at Portman Road? By all accounts, City are exploring loan options for Knight this season, and much like Morgan Rogers at Lincoln last year, it wouldn’t surprise me if League One was his destination for the forthcoming campaign.
Quick and sharp on the ball, Knight would certainly be a raw talent having never stepped foot in the professional game. However, no one can deny that his education under Pep Guardiola will have made him a much better player, and Town could be ready to benefit from that mastery.
Scoring 5 goals and providing 2 assists in the Premier League 2 last season, Knight spent another year in developmental without making a major push for first team contention. Of course, by nature of being at City, that is a hard task, but the time certainly seems right for the Cambridge born winger to go out and gain some education in the ‘real game’.
Operating mostly as a winger, but also able to come inside, Knight has a versatility to his game that could also appeal to Cook. Whether a bit-part loan spell would appeal to both parent club and player remains to be seen, as I wouldn’t want any potential loan signing to scupper the prospering talent of Armando Dobra. But Town are in need of an out-and-out winger who can surprise and delight. There won’t be many, if any players, that have come up against Knight before, and that sweet homecoming, albeit temporarily, could result in huge benefits for all parties involved.
And those are my picks! Feel free to let me know your thoughts and get in touch if you have any recommendations for players that you would like to see become part of Town’s new look side for next season! Thank you to everyone that has engaged with this series over the summer. For now, columns and pitch inspections will continue, and I’m sure that Transfer Targets will return in January. Until then, let’s all hope this newly-formed side will do us proud.
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