Cobblers Chase Mystery Centre Back

Northampton Town are looking to bolster their defensive options by adding another another centre back to their ranks. With the recent release of Byron Webster it has freed up space for another signing and work is ongoing behind the scenes to strike a deal with a mystery centre back. Originally the rumour mill was red hot with the name Mark Ellis but cold water was poured over that rumour with him signing a deal with League one Crewe Alexandra.

The latest name on all fans lips seems to be Craig Morgan from Preston North End, while he would be something of a coup for Northampton Town I'm led to believe this is not the centre back the club is interested in. There is confirmation from top class local journalist Jefferson Lake that the player in question is from a League one club and they are looking at a loan deal, although that would undoubtedly command a fee. There is talk that the reason for it being a loan deal is due to the players recent movements, either way the player would be a fantastic acquisition for Northampton Town.

One thing is for sure whoever the player is he has big boots to fill after Clarke Carlisle performed wonders in the centre of the defence. Carlisle not only turned in some decent performances but he was a leader on and off the pitch, the vital link between manager and players. There are not enough superlatives to describe how important Carlisle was for Northampton Town last season and I think all fans would love to see him back in a claret shirt. A deal for him seemed dead in the water a few weeks ago with the player himself pretty much saying his goodbyes to fans of Northampton on Twitter. Perhaps the magnitude of good will messages he received from fans made a difference because as recently as yesterday he seemed to hint that a deal is still possible by suggesting he is still in discussions with his family over his next move as it is probably going to be his final contract of his career. Understandably the player has to take into account his family and personal commitments when making a decision, especially when children are involved, and with Clarke living in the north of England all roads seem to point to a move to a northern side such as one of the Sheffield clubs. Having said that it is quite well documented that Clarke Carlisle has numerous media commitments that involves a lot of time spent down in London so in that sense Northampton would be an ideal location between the two bases. There have been numerous daft rumours of Carlisle demanding £7,000 a week from Northampton which is absolute nonsense, he has himself confirmed that he has made absolutely no demands of any club whatsoever. Sadly it seems as soon as something is written on a social media site it becomes fact, which is a huge downside of what are genuinely great interactive tools.

If Cobblers can sign the mystery centre back then my personal opinion is that it would propel the club into genuine play off hopefuls this coming season, if they somehow managed to capture Clarke Carlisle as well then that would possibly place them into the running for automatic promotion. Some exciting times loom if everything falls into place, however fans are right to be cautiously optimistic as there have been many false dawns in recent times, lets hope Aidy can lead the club into the promised land.

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