Joey Barton has confirmed Bristol Rovers would "love" to sign Stoke City defender Connor Taylor on loan again, but he accepts the Gas are not in control of the situation.
Taylor, aged 20, starred for Rovers on loan last season, making 43 league appearances and scoring three goals as Barton's side claimed promotion to League One. His excellent form in the blue and white quarters helped him earn a new three-year contract at Stoke last week and first-team boss Michael O'Neill is taking a close look before deciding Taylor's immediate future.
He was absent for the Potters' 2-0 defeat at the Mem on Tuesday, with the Gas completing their pre-season schedule in style with a deserved win over Championship opposition. Taylor has featured prominently in pre-season but was given the night off on Tuesday.
With more than a month remaining in the transfer window, Stoke could yet take several weeks to decide Taylor's future. Their head of football operations, Andy Cousins, said at the weekend Taylor could stay or be loaned before the end of trading.
Should Stoke allow Taylor to leave, Barton confirmed Rovers would be eager to do business with a club he has had huge success working with after a fruitful spell developing Harry Souttar at Fleetwood Town.
"Connor did great here last year and we will forever be grateful to him, but he isn’t our player at the end of the day," Barton said. "You’re in Stoke’s hands on that.
"We’d love to have him back because he was a great fit for us and I think he enjoyed his time here and we certainly enjoyed his performances.
"If that option is there and Stoke want to loan him out we’d be delighted to have him back, but again he’s not our player and he could play in their first team based on what I’ve seen. They will improve and get better, but Connor was a fantastic player for us.
"But as I said, it’s disrespectful for me to talk about their players."
An own goal from another Stoke centre-half, Aden Flint put Rovers' 1-0 up in the second half on Tuesday, shortly after Aaron Collins' missed penalty and Harvey Saunders' fourth goal of pre-season followed soon after to secure the victory.
Barton reflected on a good night's work. He said: "A good workout for us to get back to winning and being at the Mem. I spoke to the guys about being away from home or abroad and you’re getting your friendlies but last time we were on the pitch was the Scunthorpe game and momentum had built in the stadium and the feel-good factor.
"We said pre-season has finished and this is a game we want to win and we still think we’ve got five or six signings to do. Good signs, really.
"The squad is in a good place, the lads are competing hard. We’ve got work to do in the market but young kids are coming in and keeping the standard quite high.
"It was a good workout for us. Everyone got minutes, some wanted more minutes, but a good workout."
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