Sam Ricketts: Shrewsbury Town will look at loan deals

Max O’Leary, Callum Lang, Conor McAleny, Sam Hart and Kayne Ramsay all spent time on-loan at Montgomery Waters Meadow last season – as the club took advantage of the maximum of five loans allowed in a match day squad.

So far, Salop have signed Rekeil Pyke and Josh Daniels on permanent deals and Scott High on loan from Huddersfield and although Ricketts will take talent on a temporary basis, he would prefer to sign players outright this window.

“We’ll certainly enter the loan market,” he said. “I would prefer to try to take our own players.

“If it’s a possibility to take someone very, very good on loan then we’ll certainly do so. You have to take each case as it comes.

“Ultimately we want to try to get our own players so every year you’re not losing five loans.

“But at the same time we do want to add real quality and sometimes that will be a loan, because we won’t be able to sign all the players we would like to.

“We can have them for six months or 12 months, but clubs will want to keep them because they have a bright future.”

McAleny was released by Fleetwood last week, after making five appearances for Shrewsbury when he joined on-loan in January.

His time at the club was cut short due to the coronavirus and Ricketts has revealed the club are interested in him.

“Conor came in and showed real good ability in the short time he was with us before the season was cut short,” Ricketts added. “He’s on a list of players for his position who we hold interest in.

“He certainly would have a few suitors.”