Late shock as Mansfield Town brace themselves to lose striker duo on eve of season

Mansfield Town could lose strikers Danny Rose and Lee Angol on the eve of the new season if the chasing clubs meet Stags' valuations.
Danny Rose - set to leave the Stags?Danny Rose - set to leave the Stags?
Danny Rose - set to leave the Stags?

With Newport County the visitors for Saturday’s big kick-off (3pm), boss David Flitcroft admitted there were several clubs chasing his two strikers and, although early bids have been rejected as below value, he believes it is likely the prices on their heads will still be met.

That will leave him needing to look elsewhere for another striker at the 11th hour, though he said it would only be one as he felt they probably already had one too many.

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Flitcroft, who also expects to bring in a loan centre half this week, said: “I think transparency is important at the football club, especially with where social media is at now, and we have had offers for both Lee and Danny.

“Was I expecting them this late? Probably in the current climate when the domino effect starts after strikers begin getting sold for good money.

“The climate has been quite dry for goalscorers and there is real value in them.

“We are now bracing ourselves for those bids to go upwards from where they at and we need to start concentrating on maybe having to bring somebody in on the back of that.”

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He added: “A football club is always progressing and moving forward and you are always trying to balance what you are doing.

“The chairman will receive those bids and obviously we are trying to get as much money as we can for the players.”

Flitcroft stressed that every single player in the world has a value for other clubs to meet and top scorer Rose and hot prospect Angol were no different.

He said: “There is a valuation on every single player in every single team all over the world. We have a valuation on those two players and, if that’s met, there is a chance they will go.

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“Everyone in world football is for sale as we’ve seen over the summer. Mansfield are no different to the best clubs in the world in terms of everyone having a valuation.

“We’re running a business here. I understand that. Everywhere I’ve been I’ve been very successful at getting good value for the players I’ve had.

“The job of a football club is to keep progressing, finding that next level and that next player to keep improving and driving forward, investing that money back into the stock.

“It’s really important having owners that understand the value of money. They have put a fee on both the players and, if a bid comes in at that level, I am sure they would accept.”

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Flitcroft said he was not fazed by the possibility of losing the pair so close to the big kick-off.

“It’s not a blow for me, we’d just get on with it if they go. That’s football. I am not a victim,” he said.

“We are all working together at this football club. If we have to reset our targets and look for something different then we’ve got to do that.

“We are working on it now and probably have been for 10 days.

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“We probably have one too many strikers here already with the emergence of young Jordan Graham.”

Flitcroft said he expected the team to chip in goals from all departments this season rather than rely on a striker like Rose.

“I am expecting Otis Khan to score goals for us – we didn’t have any midfield goals last season,” he said.

“I think there might be goals in Macca (Alex MacDonald) – we are certainly working on getting him higher up the pitch.

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“Mal Benning could also be scoring goals this season with how high he is playing up the pitch.

“You have to score goals from all over the pitch and every great team does that in a positive campaign rather than put all your eggs in one basket and rely on one player.

“If he gets injured from day one what is your strategy then?”