Shrewsbury Town pondering freebie moves
Shrewsbury Town are assessing whether to enter the market for free agents as they weigh up the balance of the squad.
While the January transfer window shut on Monday night, clubs can still bring in free agents until March 25 – as long as they squad registration numbers are below maximum levels.
League One clubs are permitted 22-man squads under new laws, though those numbers exclude players aged 21 or under as of January 1, 2020. Donald Love and Sean Goss were not part of the Town squad in the first half of the season under the salary cap-enforced rules.
And now Steve Cotterill, who is still away from Shrewsbury recovering from illness in hospital, and his staff are deciding whether to look at unattached players or fill their registered squad with those already at the club. A squad list has to be submitted to the EFL imminently.
"It'll definitely be looked at, but it's what is available and whether it is worth taking a space up instead of somebody else in the squad," Wilbraham said.
"It's kind of getting the right balance, looking at what the squad needs.
"And if the player is in a fit enough state, if they've not played football and it's going to take them two months to get up to speed then is it worth the game? All those type of things really.
"But I'd imagine it's definitely something we'll look at, but I've not heard anything so far."
Town youngster Ryan Barnett, 21, is one of those on the fringes of the squad pushing for a return to action under Cotterill. He has been touted for a loan, but finding a suitable home has been tough during uncertainty caused by the pandemic.
The academy graduate, who can play in a variety of attacking roles, has played just 25 minutes from the bench in the EFL Trophy since the boss's appointment and more often than not failed to make the bench for league games.
"I spoke to the manager recently about Barney," Wilbraham added. "He's been on the edges of the squad recently and I know there's been some talk he might go out (on loan) to play some football to get experience and games.
"Barney's a really good finisher, he's good technically, he's doing well in training, he works hard every day.
"He's been unlucky to be on the fringes but he's got to keep working as hard as he can to try to get involved in the manager's plans.
"It's tough to get anywhere (even) training at the moment with the Covid situation, same with any player, we have to look at what options are available but he's been doing well in training and is not far off it."
