Samwatto2008: Notts County's signings so far

Our signings so far! Who are they? Where do they come from? Why are they the chosen ones?

With Notts County being considerably active in the transfer window, I thought I would shine a light on the players we have signed so far and see what they have on their CV and what they can offer to our setup. Having signed 5 players so far it seems promising down at Meadow Lane and with a lack of squad depth at the moment it seems the transfers wont stop there.

So first up…

Tom Crawford – Tom Crawford is a central midfielder who was acquired from the recently relegated Chester FC for an undisclosed fee. He is currently 19 years old with 17 apps in the National League. In those 17 apps he has 1 goal and 1 assist. With only National League experience it is making Notts fans wonder where his future lies within the Notts County setup. He has made 1 appearance for England C which is a promising sign for the youngster. I think he can slot in quite well into a CM or RM role if needed. I fully expect to see these sorts of signings starting in the Carabao Cup and the Checkatrade Trophy fixtures as a minimum.

Kristian Dennis – Kristian is a central striker who has most experience in the 4-4-2 formation. He was acquired from recently relegated Chesterfield for an undisclosed fee. Having back to back relegations with Chesterfield does raise eyebrows however scoring 21 goals in all competitions last year is a massive achievement and goals is something we have been lacking. Dennis is 28 years of age with 82 games played in the football league. He can play with both feet and will be a key player to the squad for next season.

Andy Kellett – Andy Kellett is labelled as a midfielder, in particular the LM spot on the pitch. He can also slot into LB if needs be as he told the Notts County media upon arrival at Meadow Lane. Kellett is 24 years of age being 5ft 7 he is known for his quick feet and pace ability. He has just over 60 appearances in the football league and has scored 7 goals in that time. Again he was relegated with Chesterfield following a loan spell from Wigan, but upon his return he found his name on the released list following Wigan’s promotion. He could be vital to our line up next year maybe filling in for Grant who has returned to his parent club. Kellet is also a young talented player which Notts County have been reluctant to gamble on in the last couple of years.

Will Patching – Patching who is also 19 years old was signed from Manchester City and agreed a 2 year deal with the Magpies. He never made a first team appearance but was a regular in the U18’s and just recently made a few starts for the U23’s at City. He is known for playing in the No. 8 / No. 10 role for City and is highly rated for his passing ability. He has represented England U18’s with 2 appearances and also gaining 16 appearances for the U17’s. He prefers his right foot with a eye for goal on the edge of the box.

Kane Hemmings – An unexpected signing by Notts County fans but my word it was a joy to behold upon announcement. Kane Hemmings was bought from Oxford United for an undisclosed fee. Previously on loan at Mansfield Town he has had plenty of league experience and goals to go along with it. His CV consists of Scottish Premier League experience and League One. Hemmings has played 84 times in the EFL scoring 17 goals. He is quick and strong player that is favoured to start along side Dennis. He has most of his experience in the Scottish Leagues however has proved himself in England too. He is 26 years of age and quite frankly fancies to score from anywhere on the field.

So far I think Notts have done a fantastic job with the signings, I thought I would break each player down a little and give an insight to what they are capable of and what type of player they are. We certainly have brought the average age of squad down by a lot which is heading in the right direction. Also I have noticed we are offering players contracts longer than 1 year which gives us an option to sell if they are performing well. I can’t remember when we last made money off a player, so it is good news we are tying these players down. Ideally I think we need 2/3 more quality signings then maybe a few players just to fill out squad depth or promote some youth players to come through the system.

Let us know your thoughts below.

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