Motherwell transfer Deadline Day plans in focus and how club could get 'dragged' towards shutting time

Motherwell have been in excellent form under Stuart Kettlewell. (Photo by Ewan Bootman / SNS Group)Motherwell have been in excellent form under Stuart Kettlewell. (Photo by Ewan Bootman / SNS Group)
Motherwell have been in excellent form under Stuart Kettlewell. (Photo by Ewan Bootman / SNS Group)
Motherwell transfer business could happen late in the day.

Stuart Kettlewell reckons Motherwell could get pushed towards the transfer deadline in their pursuit of new recruits.

The Steelmen have undergone a major overhaul this summer, with 13 coming and a host of senior players like Liam Kelly, Blair Spittal, Bevis Mugabi and more going out the way. There could be more business completed yet with the window coming to a close on August 30th.

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With a Premiership match to come against St Johnstone on Saturday, boss Kettlewell is working hard to add to his squad ahead of it. Things need to happen at other clubs, however, before Motherwell can begin to make progress on their targets. The club are not anticipating any late bids for key midfielder Lennon Miller, who has started the season strongly and has been linked with moves elsewhere, or any other members of Kettlewell’s team

The manager said: “We are still working hard. A little bit slower than what we had hoped for but we have got another full day today and then tomorrow so we will continue to work away to see if there’s anything we can do to help us. Bring a different profile to our group.

“Whether we can do that is sometimes subject to things happening elsewhere. That is essentially where we are. Sometimes we need pieces to move at other football clubs for things to change for us and at this time there is a bit of a stalemate. Again, I stay positive in these situations. If we don’t get another player in then you will see at the weekend and the weekend before, I am happy with my group.

“What we are trying to do is ward against this period between now and January where you feel you come up short of options. That is what we are trying to do. We don’t need to move anybody out and when you look at the squad, I am not really in a position to send anybody out. What we might see is one or two young players, what I call our development group, heading out. There’s one or two bits of positivity in that sense.”

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You can listen to the latest episode of our new podcast surrounding Motherwell, Fae the Tap O’ The Toon, HERE

Kettlewell hopes that a lengthy recruitment drive can fend off another going into January and next summer - as he admits the late deadline rush doesn’t suit him. He added: “You want a continuity in what you do as that process of working on the training pitch doesn’t quite take as much time.

“You are not having to try and get as many new messages across to new players. Sometimes that is outwith our hands. We’ve been fortunate enough to bring in some really decent numbers in terms of player sales, some guys have left under freedom of contract. There’s always an aspect of trying to build a squad. We want to try and mitigate that as much as we can if those numbers of transfers within the window whether it January or next summer, if it’s a smaller number it shows you’ve got that good continuity.

“What starts is this big farce of sitting until 11pm or whatever it will be tomorrow night. I am not a huge fan of that element. I understand how the window works and it becomes the biggest rat race ever towards the end of the window but I believe in trying to get things done as early as you possibly can.

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“Simply, it feels a bit rushed and a bit knee-jerk when it’s so late in the window. We ourselves will potentially need to be dragged towards the end of the window depending on how things work out for us on Thursday and we see how the land lies Friday morning or afternoon. I want as little as the way in comings and goings as I am someone who believes in that consistency.”

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