With January fast approaching, it is building up to be an absolutely crucial window for a seemingly disjointed Bristol Rovers squad with plenty of individual talent.
A few shrewd additions could be all that is needed to turn a passable team into bonafide play-off chasers, but who should manager Matt Taylor have his eyes on ahead of the winter window?
It hasn’t been the greatest of starts for Taylor’s Pirates this season. In the midst of a particularly competitive League One campaign, a run of poor form would certainly find them flirting with the four relegation spots.
| Bristol Rovers’ prospective January shortlist | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | Current Club | Age |
| Ryley Towler | Portsmouth | 22 |
| Fin Stevens | St. Pauli | 21 |
| Will Lankshear | Tottenham Hotspur | 19 |
Perhaps their most obvious miss currently is that of a natural goalscorer. Big-money summer signing Promise Omochere plays his best football as a wide-forward, though has started life at the Mem as an out-and-out number nine out of necessity.
They already have an EFL great in Chris Martin, whose expected return will be a colossal boost for Rovers, though as his positional absence is so detrimental to the club’s efforts, they may want to add another esteemed striker to increase the likelihood that a poacher is always available.
Defensive solidity is also an absolute must, had it not been for the impressive performances of Josh Griffiths between the sticks, things could be a lot worse for the South West side.
If Taylor does remain in post and persists with his back three/five, adding another center-back and an additional right-back would make sense.
So with this in mind, below are three players that Bristol Rovers should be keeping an eye on this winter.
Ryley Towler
With his incredibly thick accent, Portsmouth defender Ryley Towler may just be the most Bristolian man in professional football, but could the ex-Bristol City youngster return to his old club’s arch-rivals?
Towler never quite made it at with the Robins, playing just five times before being shipped out to then-League One outfit Pompey.
Now 22, Towler looks to have fallen out of contention at Pompey and if that continues, perhaps he could be tempted back to his hometown in January.
He has a great eye for a long ball and a calm defensive mindset befitting a back three.
A self-professed City fan in a Rovers family, Towler may get more approval than most switching allegiances.
Fin Stevens
Wales U21 defender Fin Stevens only signed for newly promoted Bundesliga side St. Pauli this summer so this would, at least initially, be a loan signing.
The forward-thinking right-back, who can also play on the left, played over 3,000 minutes in Oxford’s recent promotion-winning campaign and was one of the most impressive U21s in the division.
Unfortunately, Stevens has struggled for opportunities in Germany’s top flight and as such, may benefit from continuing his development elsewhere.
If he did choose to regain some confidence in a division he knows he can excel, the Brighton-born wing-back would undoubtedly become one of the first names on the team sheet.
St. Pauli and Rovers interestingly share something of a special relationship due to both sets of fans using pirate imagery, with there even being a registered FC St. Pauli fan group located within Bristol. This would, however, be the first transfer between the two clubs.
The Gas face a mass exodus next summer with seven first-team players becoming free agents in July.
Will Lankshear
19-year-old Tottenham forward Will Lankshear is a very real candidate for loan signing this January, but whoever secures the striker’s temporary signature could be in for a treat.
Lankshear has established himself as one of the country’s most exciting teenage goalscorers, having netted 23 times in as many games for Spurs’ under-21 side last term.
Playing plenty of minutes in pre-season, scoring twice, and with injuries to Richarlison and Timo Werner early doors, it looked for all the world like he would see some serious game time for the North London side but that has not been the case.
With this in mind, it may be time for the Hertfordshire boy to enjoy a loan spell and get used to scoring goals in the professional game, and Rovers could well be the club to allow him to do that.
Premier League and England under-21 regulars, the likes of Elliott Anderson and Jarell Quansah have both excelled on Gloucester road in the past three years. This may curry Tottenham’s favour when deciding which club should be entrusted with nurturing one of their top talents.
Lankshear has already scored at the Mem this campaign, a tremendous strike in the EFL Trophy.
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