Huntly Football Club look to bring in another new signing and place five on the transfer list
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ALLAN Hale says he is already shaping a Huntly squad for the next Highland League season and is on the brink of another new signing.
The Christie Park boss recently took in winger Robbie Foster from Fort William and ex-Inverurie Locos striker Andy Hunter to add to his attacking options.
Hale now needs to trim his squad numbers and has transfer-listed five players who have failed to hold down a regular starting berth.
He has also loaned out midfielder Reece McKeown to Turriff United with the player debuting against Wick on Monday.
Strikers Caiden Imbert-Thomas, Paul Esslemont and Daniel Critchard are available for transfer along with defender Brad Manson and midfielder Calum Reid.
Huntly are also chasing one more new face who is set to sign a pre-contract for next season, but a deal could be struck with his club to bring him in immediately.
Hale revealed: "In terms of recruitment we are looking ahead to the summer and we are close to getting one other to agree to sign on a pre contract for us, which would mean him coming in during the summer.
"But we might be able to do something with his club to bring him in now.
"We’ve got the confirmation from the player that he’s keen for that to happen so we will start that process and see what happens."
The Huntly boss said if he was successful in signing Hunter - who had been on trial at the club - others would move on.
"He's a proven goal scorer at this level, he has a great attitude and has settled in really well with the group and I’m delighted to get him," Hale said on signing Hunter.
The Black and Golds also have attacker Joel MacBeath on loan from Elgin City for the rest of the season.
The club can be contacted regarding possible deals for the five players Hale is looking to move on.
Former Deveronvale and Keith defender Manson (23) joined Huntly in 2019 and a year later penned a contract extension to keep him at the club until 2024.
Ex-Cove Rangers kid Critchard (20) signed for Huntly in September 2020 after a trial period, with the attacker being injured for much of 2021.
Esslemont (23) arrived from Dyce Juniors in July 2019 while more recently fellow striker Imbert-Thomas arrived last summer.
The 23-year-old Englishman, brother of Aberdeen striker Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, scored in a league win at Clach last August and in Huntly's 3-0 Scottish Cup win over Hill of Beath Hawthorn - see video below.
Midfielder Reid (20) has been at Huntly for the past two-and-a-half years and has been loaned out on several occasions, most recently to Stoneywood Parkvale.
Meanwhile Huntly's match against Deveronvale this weekend is already in doubt due to a number of Covid cases in both squads.
