Doncaster Rovers: Money won't determine John Marquis future

Doncaster Rovers chief executive Gavin Baldwin insists the money on offer will not determine whether John Marquis is sold.
John MarquisJohn Marquis
John Marquis

The striker was the subject of enquiries from three clubs earlier this month with Rovers insisting he is not for sale.

Baldwin insists it would not be a case of the club simply accepting a certain amount offered for Marquis.

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But rather there would be a discussion with manager Grant McCann over whether the funds could be used to ensure the Rovers squad would ultimately be in a stronger state.

"The money would not decide whether we accepted an offer any way," Baldwin said.

"It would be what we could do with the money.

"For instance, if we were offered a sum of money and when went to Grant to ask him what he could do with that sum of money and he said the team would be better taking it, that is when we would talk to John about it.

"The money is not the deciding factor. It is how strong the team would be as an outcome of accepting the money and what we could then do with that.

"The starting point for us is that he's not for sale.

"I've not negotiated with anyone over John.

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"When the Scottish club sent the offer through, I did not go back and say 'we're not accepting this amount, we want this amount.'

"I just said he's not for sale. It was as simple as that."

Scottish Premiership side Aberdeen, League One Peterborough United and an unnamed Championship club have all enquired about Marquis so far this summer.

They have all been met with flat refusal from Rovers.

"The position with John Marquis is quite clear - he's not for sale," Baldwin said.

"The board have put myself and the manager under no pressure whatsoever to raise monies to put into the playing budget.

"Our starting point in there.

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"What we have had is an informal conversation took place with [head of recruitment] Russ Wilcox when he was here and another League One club where they were looking to take John and offering players as a part exchange.

"But that got no further than a scout talking to Russ. Nothing formal came to ourselves.

"Grant took a phonecall from a Championship club saying 'what if.' That was more speculative.

"And then I had a formal offer from a Scottish club, that has been improved twice.

"But John is not for sale."