Stockport County Transfer Round-Up

 

Although County fans may have become accustomed to busy transfer windows, the current one that precedes County’s return to the Football League after a 14-year absence has been hectic even by recent standards. 

 

This guide will help you keep tabs on County’s new men, and what you can expect from them when they get their chance in the upcoming season. 

Kyle Wootton 

The 6’1” striker was announced as County’s first step into this summer’s transfer window on 9th June. Having managed to score 19 league goals last season in the National League for a Notts County side that never truly troubled the league's top sides, Simon Wilson and his recruitment team will be delighted at securing Wootton’s services on a free transfer.  

The Kidderminster-born man cuts a foreboding figure in attack. Whilst comfortable troubling defenders from corners and set-pieces, he should not be mislabeled as an instrument of brute force, capable of scoring a wide array of goals and possessing the technical ability to create chances for others. 

The deal bringing him to the club is made all the more impressive through the fact that Stockport County fought off interest from League One side Portsmouth, according to HampshireLive. 

The 25-year-old has penned a 3-year deal at Edgeley Park, meaning his initial stint at Stockport County should theoretically cover a good proportion of his prime years.  

With Paddy Madden likely to enjoy another season as one of the first names on County’s teamsheet, especially after having solidified his claim to the captain’s armband following Liam Hogan’s departure, it appears Wootton will be left to fight it out with Scott Quigley for any remaining spot in the Hatters’ frontline. Whichever of the trio is left to enter the game from the bench will surely cause a serious headache for an opposing manager, with all three being more than capable first-team players.  

Connor Lemonheigh-Evans 

Well-rumoured before the official announcement due to the expiry of his contract at Torquay United, Lemonheigh-Evans was the first to bolster County’s already jam-packed midfield following his free transfer to the club. 

With County’s extant formidable midfield trio of Sarcevic, Collar and Croasdale, it may initially seem as though opportunities for starting places may be scarce for the former Wales U21 international. Despite this, Lemonheigh-Evans will take confidence in the example set by Andy Cannon, who came to Edgeley Park on loan from Hull City late last season and managed to create himself a space in the side.  

The attacking midfielder arrives at Stockport in long-term good form, having hit double figures in both goals and assists in his previous two seasons. He will undoubtedly reinforce County’s attacking threat.   

The move made him the second promising 25-year-old to arrive at Edgeley Park on a free transfer this summer, having been given an initial 2-year contract. This may nod to a smart recruitment tactic from Challinor and Wilson, getting promising players into the club with experience but who still have age on their side to expand into team and into the new league, capturing them in good time just before they are entering what should be their natural prime.  

Akil Wright 

Akil Wright is perhaps one of the lesser-known quantities joining County this season, joining from York City on a 2-year deal, following their season in the National League North which ended in promotion via the playoffs.  

Thankfully, however, the battling defensive midfielder does not arrive as an unknown quantity to Dave Challinor, having briefly worked with the player during a loan-spell at Fylde and following the County manager’s comments in the official club press release that “Akil is a player and a person that I’ve known for some time, having watched his career since his days at Ilkeston.” 

The player was held in high regard by York City fans, with one fan commenting on Twitter, “Huge blow, but not surprising. Clearly too good for non-league. Wish him all the best.” 

The 26-year-old again falls into the sensible recruitment theme that appears to have emerged during this window of signing players on a multi-year deal just before they are due to be entering their prime years.  

Although an enviable position to be in, the signing of Wright brings yet another ingredient to midfield conundrum that Challinor will be wrestling with come the opening day fixture against Barrow.  

Any fears from Wright’s camp that he could struggle for minutes due to the competition around him may be slightly assuaged by the fact that the former Wrexham player is comfortable filling in at centre-back where necessary. That position that may start to feel slightly thin on the ground once games start coming thick and fast if Challinor persists with playing 3 central defenders, a system that was so successful for much of last season.  

Fraser Horsfall 

With both the attacking and midfield areas of the team receiving sufficient attention in County’s transfer window, eyes turned to shoring up the defensive line.  

The departures of former Stockport skipper Liam Hogan and double-promotion winning Jordan Keane, to Oldham and Halifax respectively, left County with just Ash Palmer and Ryan Johnson as natural centre-backs.  

To fill that gap, County moved quick to secure the services of Horsfall from Northampton, following again that trend of luring the 25-year-old away from his former club on a free transfer.  

County have tied down the former Cobblers man to a 3-year deal, which should see the defender at Edgeley Park through the journey towards his prime years. 

Play-off semi-finalist’s Northampton managed to maintain the best defensive record in League Two last season, due in no small part to the contribution of Horsfall. 

Not content with focusing solely on his defensive duties, the 25-year-old impressively managed to notch up 9 goals at the other end of the pitch, stats that may see Horsfall challenge what many have come to know as an Ash Palmer specialty.  

Vitezslav Jaros 

With Ben Hinchliffe recently putting pen to paper on a 1-year extension, bringing him into his seventh season with the Hatters, it’s unlikely that the 20-year-old will start his season-long secondment from Liverpool as Stockport County’s first-choice goalkeeper.  

However, the Czech youth international will have no intention of coming to Edgeley Park purely to make up the numbers. 

Jaros enjoyed a loan spell at Irish First Division side St Patrick’s Athletic where he won their ‘Player of the Season’ award along with lifting the FAI CUP. He again went out on loan in January 2022, this time to Notts County, where he put in a solid performance against County, despite suffering a substantial defeat on the day. He will be looking to hustle his way to unseating Hinchliffe at any opportunity given to him. 

Joe Lewis 

The first player County are known to have had to put down a fee for in this transfer window is 22-year-old Joe Lewis from Torquay.  

The young defender is thought of highly on the South East coast, having won Torquay’s ‘Young Player of the Season’ award last season for his 41 National League performances. 

The pacey Welshman signs at 2-year deal at Edgeley Park, becoming the second centre-back to join the club during this window, a position that had been fragile-looking entering the window. With Lewis’ 6 goals from defence last year not straggling too far behind Horsfall’s 9 goals, opposition teams may be wise to keep County set-pieces to a minimum. 

It remains to be seen which backline combination Challinor will put his trust in this season, but this signing ensures he won’t short of options. 

Callum Camps 

Despite Camps arriving as a name that has mooted for some time at Edgeley Park, perhaps not unrelated to the midfielder having been born in Stockport, the signing may have come as surprise to many fans, having been ruled out weeks earlier by Sam Byrne on Twitter following the signing of Akil Wright. 

The 26-year old again confirms the clear transfer strategy adopted by County’s recruitment team, arriving on a free transfer after accepting a 3-year deal.  

Taking a route familiar to club captain Paddy Madden, Camps joins County following his release from Fleetwood, having turned down interest from Bristol Rovers earlier this year. 

The midfield playmaker will add further complexities to Challinor's midfield conundrum, with a saturation of top class talent in that area. Despite this, it is tough to imagine a well-regarded fixture of League One for the past 8 seasons not making a strong impact for a good portion of the upcoming season.  

James Brown 

The day before County’s long-awaited return to the Football League, the club found time to announce yet another move, this time in the form of a loan deal for attacking right-back James Brown from Blackburn Rovers.  

The Irishman earnt a move to Rovers having impressed at Drogheda United, and made enough of an impression in Lancashire to earn himself a contract extension. 

Having missed a chunk of last season through injury, Macaulay Southam-Hales has finally made his return to the pitch in pre-season and County fans are eagerly awaiting his return to competitive fixtures.  

The Welshman was instrumental down the right-hand side when he played last season and is undoubtedly a fan favourite, so Brown will have his work cut out trying to disrupt this position, but it’s a task he has surely been made aware of and is ready to take on.  

The signing of another attacking right-back can surely be taken as confirmation that Challinor intends to proceed with 3 central defenders flanked by wing-back’s, a defensive system that turned out to be a winning formula last season.  

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Much has been made of County’s exuberant spending in the years following Mark Stott’s takeover of the club, and it’s undeniable that the club can offer generous remuneration packages for incoming players. However, it is equally apparent that the club has adopted an extremely sensible transfer policy, targeting quality players between 24 and 25-years-old on free transfers and tying them down to long-term deals.  

County enter the season as the bookmakers favourite to win the league, but in truth nobody knows the level the Hatters are operating at in this league until a ball has been kicked, with the odds likely reflecting County fans optimism for the season. 

Whatever happens over the course of this season, there’s no doubt that County have had a transfer window to match the ambitions of a title-contending team and with Challinor at the helm, anything is possible.