I looked at some footballers who don’t have a club right now. They played last season in the Premier League down to League Two. Some might be too expensive or not realistic, but if the club could pay their wages, even just until the end of the season, I think it could help. I’m not sure if any are injured, but if they’re fit and ready to play, they could make the team stronger.

Jamal Blackman has always been good in goal. I liked him when he was on loan from Chelsea. He’s 31 now and has lots of experience. I think he’d be a solid goalkeeper for us and would help out with the Kelle Roos situation.

Theo Vassell is another player I think would be useful. He’s played in the lower leagues and is quite steady. He can play in all three centre-back spots, so he’d be handy to have in the squad.

If we need more wing-back cover, Anthony Forde could be a good choice. He’s been sold for decent money before and has played well. If we use him the right way, he could do a good job.

Some people say Notts need more attacking midfielders. Jonathan Lewis used to play for Barnsley and could be a good pick. He can play up front but is better on the wing. Nathan Redmond is also really good going forward. He’s 31 and last played for Burnley. It might be a bit of a stretch, but if we could get him, even for a short time, he’d be amazing.

Max Woltman is a young striker who came from Liverpool’s academy. He went to Oxford United but didn’t really settle. He played for Doncaster Rovers on loan in 2023. I think he’d be a good signing to help him grow and improve.

Victor Moses or Emmanuel Dennis would be dream signings. They’ve both played in the Premier League and still have some football left in them. They could become fan favourites like Shola Ameobi did. Wages might be a problem, but they’ve made good money already. Maybe the club’s goals and the chance to get promoted to League One could tempt them.

If we want someone like Dan Crowley but with Ruben Rodrigues’ style, I’d love to see Lucas Andersen join. He’s Danish and very creative. He’s 31 and works really hard. He played for QPR before they let him go, and he’s also been at Aalborg BK in Denmark. He’s got a good background with teams like Grasshoppers, Ajax and Willem II.

We probably won’t sign any of these free agents, but it’s fun to think about. If I was part of the team picking players, I’d want to talk to some of the ones I mentioned.

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Emmanuel Dennis (Forward)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmanuel_Dennis

Nathan Redmon (Attacking Midfielder)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathan_Redmond

Max Woltman (Striker)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Woltman

Lucas Andersen (Attacking Midfielder)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucas_Andersen

Jonathan Lewis (Attacking Midfielder)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Lewis_(soccer)

Victor Moses (Attacking Midfielder)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Moses

Anthony Forde (Wing Back)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Forde_(footballer)

Theo Vassell (Defender)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theo_Vassell

Jamal Blackman (Keeper)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamal_Blackman

There are some interesting options among the list @Ash  I expect if there are any possibilities among them Richard Montague will on the case for sure!

@McPie, I think Max Woltman, Theo Vassell and Jamal Blackman would be great players for Notts to sign. They seem like the kind of players we could actually get, so it makes sense. I really hope Richard Montague checks out the free agent list. But when I read stuff from the fans forum, it didn’t sound like the club was too sure about it.

It felt like the board didn’t think there were good enough players out there. They also didn’t seem to believe we’d get a third goalkeeper, which is a bit worrying.

Nice topic & good info on availability of suitable players for Notts. I do recall that the owners were saying that they are satisfied with the strength of the squad right now, so the odds that Notts may go for the players you put forward are slim.

However, we now have a new Head of Football & that means that the owners are much more likely to take the advice of Richard now he's here. Fans like yourself have a very good idea where the side needs strengthening.

As far as I'm concerned it's between the sticks, defence, & attack. We also have to remember that as well as having wages to play, agents fees have to be paid. There will maybe have to be a signing on fee for the player too.

If there were just one player I would sign, it would be a decent goalkeeper, who would make such a difference to the squad, & also Notts's promotion chances.

Great list. Some of these would be amazing for Notts, assuming their legs or motivation haven't gone (we've had a few of those).

Who would be dropped though to make way for them? Apart from Roos, the defence is starting to pick itself, Palmer and Robertson are developing a good partnership, Jones and Tsaroulla are among the first picks, Jatta plus Dennis/Iorpenda/Luker/Hall all looking good.

Keeper seems like far and away the priority, then maybe someone with the experience to help us manage away games better. Thought that might have been Norburn but not looking like it.

44 minutes ago, Ash said:

I think Max Woltman, Theo Vassell and Jamal Blackman would be great players for Notts to sign. They seem like the kind of players we could actually get, so it makes sense. I really hope Richard Montague checks out the free agent list. But when I read stuff from the fans forum, it didn’t sound like the club was too sure about it.

These three could easily come in and do a job, Theo Vassell can be a bit hit and miss. Decent player, but would be most suitable as a rotational/backup player. He could be worth giving a contract until the end of the season, I can't imagine his wages being a problem.

Jamal Blackman would be excellent competition for Kelle Roos, he's a very good shotstopper and would be suitable to push for the first team.

I do get the feeling Roos might be on a decent wage, which might be the reason the clubs is hestitant to look for a replacement but the fact he makes so many mistakes, and looks uncomfortable at times I do think it would relese pressure. It's funny hearing people telling me they want Sam Slocombe back, who was never all that bad but we just insisted he did things outside of his comfort zone.

Max Woltman has a good pedigree, I recall him signing for Oxford and it looked like a good move. I think provided he didn't end up sitting on the bench or in the stands, he could give us an option over Mai Traore. It might allow for Traore to play in a more suitable role, than as a striker.

30 minutes ago, Robbie said:

Nice topic & good info on availability of suitable players for Notts. I do recall that the owners were saying that they are satisfied with the strength of the squad right now, so the odds that Notts may go for the players you put forward are slim.

Yeah, it does seem like that, but I still think there are some good free agents out there. Maybe the club hasn’t spotted them yet. Some of the players are really decent and could actually join. I really hope the club sees that we need another keeper who’s played a lot before.

29 minutes ago, Sheffield Pie said:

Great list. Some of these would be amazing for Notts, assuming their legs or motivation haven't gone (we've had a few of those).

Yeah, I get what you mean. After Matty Platt got hurt, Martin Paterson did say a few times that he wanted to find someone to help in defence. I think Theo Vassell could be a good choice for that.

We should try to make the defence stronger, and also get someone good up front. I’m not sure all the players on the list would want to come, but it’s where I hope Notts could try a bit harder. It would be nice to see the club be a bit more brave with who they go after.

1 minute ago, Chris said:

These three could easily come in and do a job, Theo Vassell can be a bit hit and miss. Decent player, but would be most suitable as a rotational/backup player. He could be worth giving a contract until the end of the season, I can't imagine his wages being a problem.

Jamal Blackman would be excellent competition for Kelle Roos, he's a very good shotstopper and would be suitable to push for the first team.

I do get the feeling Roos might be on a decent wage, which might be the reason the clubs is hestitant to look for a replacement but the fact he makes so many mistakes, and looks uncomfortable at times I do think it would relese pressure. It's funny hearing people telling me they want Sam Slocombe back, who was never all that bad but we just insisted he did things outside of his comfort zone.

Max Woltman has a good pedigree, I recall him signing for Oxford and it looked like a good move. I think provided he didn't end up sitting on the bench or in the stands, he could give us an option over Mai Traore. It might allow for Traore to play in a more suitable role, than as a striker.

This is what I was thinking. There were some good players Notts could have looked at before they called off the Swindon Town game. Some of them might not need loads of time to settle in. I think looking at free transfers could really help us.

Jamal Blackman is a really good goalkeeper. But he might only want to join if he gets to play in the first team.

@Ash You are making your case well.

There is still some uncertainty with Macari & whether he will be suspended or not & how long his suspension would be.

There is a question mark with Traoré & whether he'll make the grade as a Notts striker.

Roos needs to improve, because the goalkeeping position is so important to a side wanting to be promotion contenders.

I think that Richard Montague coming to Notts could have reopened the possibility of move n the transfer market before the January transfer window.

i think notts are just going to wait for the january transfer window but it does show that there are some very good players who could come in and help. i wished we would sign another keeper, i think roos will improve but i am not convinced he will save penalties and he makes at least one big mistake per game with the exception of the odd one where he does not.

Two on the list should be looked at seriously, but any would be good signings, I feel. We signed Tyler Miller last season, and that seems to be part of the reason why we won't explore a third keeper. It was a waste of money, but did we really need a keeper at that stage? Kelle Roos's need for appropriate competition is a valid point worth considering.

I don't know how Notts can look beyond just having two out-and-out strikers, when in our National League years we were far more blessed.

Both areas are vital for promotion, and if left unaddressed, could be cause for concern if something does happen. I am all for being careful, but we are so blessed in midfield at the expense of other areas that we do are unbalanced.