Shrewsbury's non-league recruitment: A good or a bad thing?

Shropshire Star

Ollie Westbury brings you his view on a busy week in the transfer market - after Shrewsbury made three signings from non-league. Callum Stewart arrived from Leamington, before Dominic Gape arrived at Salop following a spell at non-league Eastleigh. And earlier this week, they moved to bring in AFC Telford United's star man Ricardo Dinanga.

Transcript

00:00It has been a very busy week here at the Shrewsbury Town Training Ground, which you can see behind me.

00:06Shrewsbury have been very busy. They've brought in three players, others have gone the other way.

00:11But they've raided the non-leagues and we've seen three players come in.

00:16Callum Stewart before the cross-border derby last weekend, last Thursday, sorry.

00:20Don Gate, his contract at Eastleigh expired. He now comes through the door to join up with Gareth Ainsworth once more.

00:26And then they raided local rivals AFC Telford United for Riccardo Di Nanga,

00:32who signs a couple of players signing two and a half year deals.

00:36And obviously Don Gate signing until the end of the season.

00:39What do we make of this? Well, it's difficult to say at this stage.

00:43You can't judge the players until you've seen them in action,

00:47but it certainly looks like a change in recruitment strategy for Shrewsbury this month.

00:52Signing those players early 20s.

00:55Very reluctant to judge them because I'm constantly reminded in the back of my head

00:59that Dan Udo arrived from Shrewsbury Town from Telford in the non-league.

01:04Obviously Kone at Wickham is another example of there are diamonds in the rough that you can find from that avenue.

01:10And that I suppose that Shrewsbury with the pond that they're fishing in

01:13and their financial and budgetary restraints do have to kind of get creative in the market.

01:18Now, they are probably nominal fees or we expect that their nominal fees

01:22that they've not had to take an awful lot of the risk on.

01:26And they're probably on low wages, too.

01:28So there's not a great deal of risk being taken.

01:30However, you probably would say with Shrewsbury in a relegation battle right now,

01:35fighting for their lives to try and stay in League One.

01:37Perhaps you would like a little bit more League One now,

01:40a little bit more League One experience to come through the door to really try

01:45and help shift them up the league, up the League One table,

01:50which I think is what everybody wants.

01:52However, there are still several days left in the transfer window.

01:56The window doesn't shut now until the 3rd of February next month.

02:01So there is plenty of time for Shrewsbury to kind of get around some additions

02:07and perhaps bring in some more League One experience.

02:10And that could perhaps have been the plan all along.

02:12Gareth Ainsworth has mentioned several times that they might have to wait

02:16until later in the transfer window to get the players through the door

02:19that they actually want.

02:20So we'll have to keep our eyes peeled.

02:23We'll have to watch to see how these new players go.

02:25I mean, obviously, it's interesting that, you know,

02:27obviously we've just seen Tom Bloxham leave the crowd meadow.

02:31And having some players with some sell on value at the right age

02:34that come in and do well is always something that's important

02:37for a football club like Shrewsbury.

02:39So, you know, perhaps if they can come in and be successful,

02:42then we'll have to wait and see.

02:44But, you know, it's been a very, very busy week with Shrewsbury and sign-ins.

02:48So we will wait to see how they go now in the second half of the season.

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