Uncertainties aplenty for Doncaster Rovers with transfer madness set to reign supreme

Scrap that, it's actually Rob Street who Doncaster Rovers are signing. That's in the bag, now who's next? Thimothee Lo-Tutala is coming back, isn't he? And Matty Craig. Might as well bring Hakeeb Adelakun back too, get the band properly back together.

We're barely a week into the January transfer window and already the list of names linked with a move to DN4 is growing by the day. This isn't restricted to Rovers, of course. Every six months the transfer window opens to a hullabaloo of rumours and names, many of which are plucked seemingly from fresh air. It's arguably worse in the winter window, given it is shoehorned into a single month meaning an almost daily supply of rumours and gossip to wade through.

Jigsaw identification - he managed that player before, so a reunion is surely on the cards - plays a big part in all of this which only makes it harder to sniff out the genuine links.

Not all of it, but a large amount is smoke and mirrors. Against this backdrop, Grant McCann and his recruitment team have to try and stay grounded and block out the noise. Arguably the most fascinating insight McCann offered on this time of year came when speaking to the Free Press recently, when asked about the ever-shifting landscapes and challenges that January provides.

"We're working very hard but there's lots of moving parts in order for it to happen," said the Northern Irishman.

That domino effect he refers to is even more prominent in January, given the need for deals to be wrapped up promptly with a looming deadline. Just like moving house, plenty of deals involve chains - or in this case clubs with differing priorities. If an injury occurs to one player in the chain, or if they suddenly opt against a move, it has a ripple effect. Suddenly clubs can go from pencilling in their number one target to having to move down their shortlist. Rinse and repeat.

Working in these sensitive conditions, McCann is understandably hesitant to project to the fanbase about incomings in case it ends up falling through.

That was the case with Street, who they did manage to get over the line. If national reports are to be believed, Craig's return is next on the list for Rovers but that is easier said than done. It is a move that involves his parent club Tottenham, the player himself and not forgetting his current temporary employers Barnsley, who are yet to even confirm his arrangement has ended early.

Whilst incomings are important this month, as Rovers look to try and find some kind of consistency amid an extremely tight promotion picture in League Two, so too are outgoings.

McCann may not admit it but Rovers' squad is bloated. Having two players for each position is a luxury, having three risks gluttony.

Let's remember, this isn't the Rovers of last season. They are no longer carrying the huge number of injuries that hamstrung them last season. For that a huge portion of praise must go to Dave Rennie and his staff. The downside, of course, is having the likes of Ben Close, Zain Westbrooke and many others sitting in the stands.

Craig's arrival, or anyone else for that matter, will only boost the squad numbers further. Something has to give and exits seem inevitable this month.

Louis Jones and Bobby Faulkner, each in something of a limbo for the past two months after their loan spells in Ireland ended, look primed to depart whilst others on the fringes could also be within their rights to ask for temporary moves away this month.

What Rovers' squad will look like on the morning of February 4 is anyone's guess. Expect plenty more names to crop up between now and then, as the January madness gathers pace.