Ferguson expecting departures before pre-season starts

Rovers have been proactive on the incoming front in the transfer market so far this summer, bringing in seven players and their attentions have now switched to outgoings, with Gary Mackenzie’s exit from the club announced yesterday with more set to follow the defender.

Following the club’s relegation at the end of last season, Ferguson transfer-listed five players – Mackenzie, Thorsten Stuckmann, Curtis Main, Dany N’Guessan and Billy Whitehouse – having told them they did not feature in his plans for the 2016-17 campaign.

Defender Mackenzie, who had a year left on his deal, has joined St Mirren after mutually agreeing to leave Rovers.

Ferguson believes that more outward movement is imminent regarding several unwanted players.

He said: “We feel that two or three will be out before pre-season starts next Monday. We are quite confident of that.

“I think it is best that you don’t want an uncomfortable position or situation. They have to respect the decision that has been made and understood it when I spoke to them.

“They have to move on with their careers as we do with ours,” he added.

Meanwhile, Ferguson is not ruling out Richard Chaplow having a future at Rovers and is due to hold talks with him.

The former Burnley and Southampton midfielder was widely expected to invoke a relegation release clause in his deal, allowing him to leave by the end of this month, but he has yet to do so.

The 31-year-old signed a two-year deal with Rovers last summer after his release by Millwall.

Ferguson said: “Chappy has not gone yet and he has got until the end of the month.

“He has a clause in his contract that he can take up if he wants to leave and I will be having discussions with him this week.

“If he decides he wants to stay, then I don’t think that would be a bad thing at all because he can obviously cope with the level we are going to be at.”

After bringing in seven permanent signings, Ferguson says that further inward activity is likely to focus around the loan market, with the Scot fairly happy with his number of 19 squad players.

So far this close season, Rovers have signed Tommy Rowe and Gary McSheffrey, who both spent spells at the club on loan at the end of last term – and five other players.

Goalkeeper Ross Etheridge, defenders Joe Wright and Mathieu Baudry and attackers John Marquis and Matty Blair have also joined Rovers as they plan for life in League Two.