Doncaster Rovers' recruitment chief on the state of the transfer market and the club's hunt for fresh blood

Henshall labelled the current state of the market as ‘extremely slow’ despite the opening of the transfer window on Monday.

However with a season start date now confirmed, it can be expected that business will begin to pick up with teams returning for pre-season.

And he believes the continued unknown surrounding the coming months - in both football and societal terms due to Covid-19 - is making the majority of clubs rightly wary over committing to signings.

But the 27-year-old moved to assure supporters that Rovers are ready to act on targets once there is greater clarity.

“It’s about being patient in every single window,” he told the Free Press. “These negotiations do affect people’s lives, they take time.

“With this pandemic and the impact it has had, these things take even longer. Everything in general life takes longer and football is no different.

“The message is, patience is key.

“When the time is right, we hope to be in a position where we’ve got the right players in that Darren believes can help improve Doncaster Rovers football club and get us into the position where we all want to be.

“However long that takes, bear with us, bear with the process. Know that there is a process going on and hopefully we can reap the rewards of that.

“Everyone is in the same boat with the pandemic and the impact that has made on finances and their transfer activities.

“Why would you commit now when something might harm you two or three weeks down the line?”

Henshall - who joined Rovers from Shrewsbury Town last November - says nothing has changed in his role as he enters his second transfer window at the club, despite Covid-19.

“As always, my job is to look for the best value for what we can get for our money,” he said.

“From my perspective, my job role is to identify options for Darren and recommend options that are suitable for how we want to play and where we want to be.

“I have to work on the premise that every single member of our squad is either going or gone so I have a hit list of multiple options for each position if we need that.

“You can’t be reactive, you have to be proactive.

“My role doesn’t really change, even with the situation that we have now.

“What changes is the environment around it and the parameters that I have to work in.

“It makes it difficult for anyone in this situation, which every club is.”

Henshall insists much of the work done earlier in the year on summer recruitment is still viable despite the impact of the pandemic.

But it is the changing financial situation that will ultimately decide whether Rovers are to pursue those targets previously identified.

“The identification process has already happened,” Henshall said.

“I try to work a window ahead. We were aware in January of who we wanted to get in the summer.

“The factors around that will change because of Covid. Someone you thought you might be able to put a bit more money to, you might not be in a position to do so now.

“The element of the identification is complete with usually a few surprises who may become available’

“Agents are calling to see if the interest is still there or if you might be interested in another client instead.

“Some are deals that we’re actively trying to do and push now. But the whole market is at a standstill and the majority of conversations we are having are fact-finding.

“You already know who is available and who is not. That’s not really changed in seven weeks.

“It’s more been about fact-finding in the unknown. I’ve had the same conversation two or three hundred times it seems!

“We’re working with so many unknown elements.

“What was viewed as a good deal six months ago that could be offered now might be so damaging to the football club in a few weeks’ time with the possibility of a salary cap. Why would you commit to it?

“The situation has changed recruitment strategies.

“I don’t see how players can be asked to take wage deferrals and then their clubs go out and pay major fees especially for players who play in the same position”.

“Straight away it puts a line through significant fees because that wouldn’t be fair to players they already have under contract.

“Clubs that haven’t had their players take deferrals, they can obviously look at bigger fees. How big those fees are? No one knows.

“There is so much that is unknown.”

There has been transfer activity in League One already this summer, with Blackpool in particular making signings and doing so with long term deals, including Doncaster-born Jerry Yates who has signed a three-year deal with the option of a fourth.

Henshall believes such activity suggests an element of risk-taking from clubs but that it is something which could pay off.

“You’ve had a couple of teams that have focused on permanent signings and throwing caution to the wind,” he said.

“We’ll see in due time whether that will work for them. For example, if there was to be a second spike, they’ve committed to more contracts than what they already had planned.

“It’s a massive risk-reward in that sense.

“Those clubs that are throwing caution to the wind and offering those sorts of contracts, from my perspective it’s about trying to find out what those contracts look like and how they have been structured to get around the situation.

“If there’s any way that we can benefit from this, then we need to try to look at it.”

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