Joey Barton believes Bristol Rovers need to make in the region of 12 summer signings in order to mount a challenge in League One this season, with eyes on a number of players already in the dressing room.
There is set to be the typically high turnover of players for a club at this level in the summer with the expiry of five loans – Ellery Balcombe, Jarell Quansah, Lewis Gibson, Lamare Bogarde and Josh Coburn – as well as the likely exits of out-of-contract players, meaning areas of Barton's squad are likely to be much-changed on the opening day in August.
The likes of Aaron Collins, Antony Evans, James Belshaw, James Connolly, Sam Finley and Luca Hoole are all tied down to multi-year contracts and they are set to form the core of Barton's resources, but the manager is aware that he needs to make upgrades across the squad – particularly in defence with Rovers shipping 68 goals in 43 games – if they are to emulate Plymouth Argyle after Tuesday's 2-0 defeat at Home Park and mount a challenge for a place near the top of the division in 2023/24.
Recruitment will largely focus on bringing new faces and some "nous and experience", as Barton described it after Saturday's loss at Port Vale, but there are also some players in the squad the manager would be eager to keep hold of beyond the expiry of their terms in a few weeks time.
He has previously stated his desire to see Everton loanee Gibson return, given the influence the centre-half has had on the team's success (Rovers have won just 13 per cent of games he has not played) when he has been fit and available. The 22-year-old is out of contract at Goodison Park this summer and he appears likely to depart, but Rovers may not be at the front of the queue for the left-sided defender who has Championship and high-end League One experience with Reading and Sheffield Wednesday respectively.
And after Tuesday's loss in Devon which saw 10-man Rovers lose out to title-chasing Argyle with goals from Niall Ennis and Macaulay Gillesphey, Barton indicated he would like to see Grant Ward, Bogarde and Coburn also in a Rovers shirt next season.
Midfielder Ward has been outstanding since signing a short-term deal in January, offering a well-rounded skillset in the centre of the park. Bogarde, another January signing, has enormous potential in midfield and he has played a critical role in Rovers' best performances in the run-in.
Coburn, meanwhile, has had a difficult second half of the season, but he was the league's best striker leading up to the midway point in terms of his conversion rate. With nine goals in 31 appearances, it has still been a successful loan for the Middlesbrough talent, and with Michael Carrick's side possibly playing Premier League football next term, perhaps there is scope for another temporary stay in BS7.
Regardless of whether Barton is successful in getting any of those deals done, he says he is "crystal clear" about what it will take to help Rovers reach the next level next season.
"I think we need to sign at least 12 players, that’s the reality," he said. "We’re going to lose a few and, obviously, loans are going to be included in that.
"I think some of those players are in that dressing room for sure. Some of the performances tonight, certainly Grant Ward. He’s been exceptional. Can we get a couple of the lads back? Lamare on loan? Maybe, possibly. Josh Coburn? Maybe, I don’t know.
"But we are going to have to recruit and I think it’s evident in the past few games, we’ve taken on the bigger and better teams at the top of the division.
"I think I am crystal clear on what type of group I want to build next year and we’ve got some really good components in that dressing room, young lads who are still learning, but we just keep improving it incrementally and it won’t be long until, hopefully, as a football club, we’re in a position to challenge for the Championship."
Plymouth deserve huge credit for their response to relegation in 2019, bouncing back at the first attempt and laying solid foundations in League One before gradually becoming promotion contenders. Several windows of excellent recruitment coupled with infrastructure improvements off the pitch have put the club in a great position to realise its potential.
The development of the Mayflower Grandstand has lifted the Home Park capacity to 17,000, generating additional revenue and making for an imposing atmosphere which has powered Argyle to the best home form in the league, seven points clear of anyone else this season.
With safety already secured and 15th place currently in their position, Rovers have made a commendable return to the third tier after spending last season in League Two. Barton says they have "mirrored" Plymouth's early steps on their journey to the Championship and they could do worse than to follow their lead in the months and years ahead.
Rovers, too, have stadium ambitions, both for the Mem in the shape of a new South Stand, and a development at the fruit market in St Philips Marsh in years to come and Barton believes Plymouth are an example of what is possible for clubs of a similar size, like Rovers, if they get their investment right on and off the field.
"Their budget will be about £4.5million, not one of the bigger budgets in the division," Barton added. "They went for it in January and there was a big play from them; they went and spent a load of money for a League One club, similar to Ipswich.
"It is no coincidence, look at the results they have got. You need to incrementally improve your team. It’s coaches, stats, all that, but people forget it’s about football players.
"If you have got good players like they have got and you keep getting good players and your bench starts to be filled with good players, lo and behold you usually get results and climb up the table.
"We’ve got a lot of lads who are brand new to League One, even some of the experienced boys. It’s a lot of the lads’ first season in League One.
"We’ve got to learn those lessons. Incrementally, you will naturally improve and I’m in a position now where we have set the benchmark for League One. When I took over the club, we were relegated, and not only getting the club back to League One was important but keeping them there, you legitimately leave the club in a better position than when you found it.
"Now the challenge is can we kick the level on and improve even further and take the club into the top 12 of the division and see where we are?
"We’ve got a bit of work to do. They’ve been in League One for three of the seasons I’ve been a manager. They had that season in League Two. Last time I came here, you see it in all different stages of development, the stadium, the facilities and, obviously, the team as well. It’s just about time served and upgrading your players.
"The club has got stadium plans in the ether at Bristol Rovers, but how quick or whether it comes to fruition in my tenure, I’m not sure. But when you come here and there 17,000 in and there are 10,000 at the Mem, that extra 7,000-8,000 you get in is extra revenue you can reinvest in your facilities and your football club and your team.
"We have got the fanbase. No disrespect to Plymouth, but I would imagine we have got a bigger fanbase than Plymouth. I would imagine the city of Bristol is a bigger capture area, so they are a club we can look at. They dropped into League Two and their first season back up, we were 5-0 up against them at Fleetwood and you start making subs after 60 minutes. They got a real baptism of fire there and they just stayed up that season, doing the job, and from our perspective, we’ve done that job.
"We have mirrored them in a way, getting up after the relegation and staying up. It allows us the opportunity now to build. This summer is going to be, I would imagine, 12 players if we were serious about getting better. Let’s make sure we’re better next season than this season.
"If we keep doing that and keep doing that, eventually, we’ll be in the mix. We’ve got to earn our way because there are some big clubs in this division, but it’s easily doable."
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