Joey Barton delivers reason why Bristol Rovers haven’t made signing in over a month

Joey Barton has called on Bristol Rovers to be patient as they bide their time in the transfer market.

It is over a month since John Marquis arrived as the fourth signing of the summer transfer window.

Marquis has settled in and become the focal point of the team, leading the attack in their opening day fixture against Forest Green Rovers.

But there is an obvious desire for new recruits given the starting line-up included two players; Trevor Clarke and Zain Westbrooke, that Barton was keen to move on.

The quickly developed stance made on Clarke and Westbrooke’s futures are an example of the ever-changing market of the transfer window.

The 39-year-old has hinted that there could be a late flurry of transfer activity come the end of the window as that is when players may become available at a better price.

He said: “We’re not waiting. It’s just where the market is at the minute. If you know anything about the window there is really good value at the start of it and at the end of it.

“In the middle of it you just get caught in auctions, loads of people are still spinning plates. We are a long way out from the end of the window.

“It’s just tricky to navigate it. The owner is ready to go, Tom Gorringe is ready to go, there’s no financial thing holding it up.”

A number of targets that have been identified by Rovers are players who are capable of playing in the Championship.

Already this summer, Rovers have had to wait on what the decisions of both Newcastle United and Stoke City and what they would do with Elliot Anderson and Connor Taylor.

Both players have earned praise from their managers and a return to the Memorial Stadium looks unlikely given their first-team prospects at their current clubs.

Whilst Barton had already outlined his desire for seven new players, a sizeable number given only four have arrived since the start of June, there is an urge to recruit quality rather than quantity.

He said: “It’s just we want to take as much quality as we can. You are waiting on people who are being told by clubs further at the food chain than us how we might come for you. They are going to wait and go I might get a Championship option here.

“Usually with those guys they have got four or five options once they take one then everybody knows they are not getting in. Everybody goes I’m ready to come in to League One now and that might be 24 or 48 hours to go in the window.”

There is 29 days left in the transfer window and in that period, they will play five matches in League One, as well as up to two Carabao Cup matches, along with an EFL Trophy tie with Plymouth Argyle.

In that time frame, he has already set out a points target for the club to achieve before they reach the end of the registratiod period.

The main priority will be for the team to be competitive but the two things are entwined as new recruits can impact the situation in fixtures.

Barton said: “You have to be patient, for us the aim of the game is to get 52 points on the board. After six or seven games the window closes, if we have got six, seven, eight or nine points on the board that would be a competent start.

“Of we get more than that great, if we get less then we are playing catch up. I’m confident based on some of the sides above us in the division who have been here for a number of years, they’re in a spiral.

“Fleetwood and Burton, they’re in a depth spiral from last year. A new manager has come in and a couple of new players. Since December they have been used to getting beat.”