Bristol Rovers get transfer enquiries as Joey Barton delivers deadline-day verdict

Bristol Rovers could see one or two players depart ahead of Friday's transfer deadline, admits first-team manager Joey Barton.

The summer transfer window shuts on Friday, September 1 at 11.00 pm, and the Gas are expected to play a part both in terms of incomings and outgoings. The pursuit of Peterborough United’s Jonson Clarke-Harris has been well documented, but there is also a consideration that for him to arrive, some will depart the club for opportunities elsewhere.

Goalkeeper James Belshaw is the obvious name, having fallen out of favour at the club following the arrival of Brentford and England Under-20 goalkeeper Matt Cox, as well as ex-Southampton shot stopper Matt Hall. He has not featured in a match-day squad since the Carabao Cup defeat to Ipswich Town and his representatives have been seeking opportunities elsewhere.

The likes of Jerry Lawrence and Ryan Jones could be poised for loan moves, whilst Harvey Greenslade is with Truro City for a month, and his loan could either be extended or a higher division club could be found for him. Several first-team players at Rovers have fallen out of favour with Barton having a squad of 30, and some will be moved out before the end of the week.

‘I will imagine there will be one or two who will want to go and play,” said Barton when asked about potential departures on Saturday.

‘There are some irons in the fire in terms of opposition teams making enquiries and seeing what we’ve got available or what might be surplus for this stage of our team.

“It’s small numbers, it might be one or two out and hopefully one in. I hate this time of year and I hate the window being open. The predators are trying to rob your best players. It makes everybody unstable and then Friday’s deadline passes, and everybody knows where they’re going to be until it opens up again. It then allows the building and the place to settle.’

BristolWorld believes that an unnamed Championship side that is not Stoke City as previously reported, holds an interest in Collins, but that is as far as it goes. A club in question has recently received a transfer windfall from the sale of one of their key players to a rival and could consider Collins as a potential replacement.

The 26-year-old - who last season got 11 goals has yet to find the back of the net this campaign. He did set up Scott Sinclair for a goal against Charlton Athletic but that is his only registered goal contribution this term, and he will be keen to rediscover his form. He was valued at £4m by Joey Barton last season, having drawn comparisons to Burnley’s Scott Twine, who joined Hull City earlier in the transfer window.