Update on recruitment at Doncaster Rovers

Rovers made their sixth signing of the summer on Saturday with the arrival of forward Jordy Hiwula on a two-year deal.

Wellens is continuing to work on adding a goalkeeper on loan but said there is still work to be done in negotiating the best deal for Rovers.

As for elsewhere in his squad, the Rovers boss wants to ensure he has enough cover to meet the challenges of a League One season.

But he is not expecting a great deal of progress in the next few days.

“We’re very short on conversations,” he told the Free Press.

“I just think we need bodies for the squad. What we don’t want to be is a very good team when everyone is fit and then underbelly makes a vast difference to us.

“I think we need a centre back. I’m really happy with the ones we’ve got and I thought Cameron John was excellent when he came on at Rossington. I thought Ben Blythe was very good as well. But we need another centre back.

“I think we need another winger/number ten who is explosive and does things the others can’t.

“And I think we need a holding midfield player who can disrupt the game, is athletic and can complement the midfield players we’ve already got.”

On the loan signing of a goalkeeper, Wellens said the focus is securing a deal which will not see Rovers punished harshly financially if he does not play.

Wellens has been impressed with Louis Jones so far in pre-season and believes the academy graduate can be the number one keeper this term.

“We have two or three options for a goalkeeper and we’re just trying to manoeuvre into position,” he said.

“There’s one we could possibly press the button on but the ratchet and punishments for not playing him are too high.

“If we can get those down then we could possibly press the button on that one.

“We really like Louis Jones. We do need another goalkeeper, we’re very aware of that.

“But the ratchet needs to be what we can afford if Louis Jones plays the season that we think he can play.”

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