Mansfield Town manager Nigel Clough has provided more details on Stags’ retained list following the conclusion of the club’s 2023/24 season.
Stags finished the campaign in third position, confirming promotion to Sky Bet League One.
The gaffer revealed that several first team regulars, who are now effectively out of contract, are in negotiations over new deals.
Speaking to iFollow Stags after finalising the retained list, Nigel said: “With most of the lads, we were happy with their contract situation going into the end of the season.
“Most of them are under contract.
“The ones that are out we’re talking to at the moment and are in negotiations. I think that’s Lucas Akins, Ollie Clarke, George Maris, Stephen McLaughlin and Stephen Quinn [as well as James Gale].
“We have three contracts that are up – John-Joe O’Toole obviously has been out on loan [at AFC Wimbledon], Anthony Hartigan who was also out on loan [at Barnet] and Callum Johnson who, unfortunately, the injuries that he’s had has meant that we couldn’t offer him anything.
“They’re the three that will be released and we’re talking to the others that aren’t under contract.”
On how quickly he expects contract discussions to reach a conclusion with players, the boss added: “I think [we’ll know] reasonably quickly we would hope.
“I think everybody wants to stay which is not a surprise.
“We had a lovely meeting with the owners yesterday and we went through the thinking behind going forward next season.
“Everybody is ambitious and wants to be as successful as we can but we all agreed that the best way of achieving the success and stability is to keep the group together as much as we can and add five or six, good players for next season.
“The lads deserve that opportunity to see what they can do in League One and more than anything, we want to retain the spirit and camaraderie that has got us to this point.
“That’s the plan going forward.”
When speaking after full-time against Accrington Stanley last month as Mansfield clinched promotion, midfielder Stephen Quinn had not yet decided on his future.
“I had an initial chat with him [Stephen Quinn],” said the gaffer.
“The lads are away for a few days so we will catch-up again when they get back.
“He said he enjoys it so much and you can see that every time he plays and trains.
“He’s considering giving it another go for another season, but I’ll have another chat with him this week.”
Jordan Bowery and Scott Flinders signed renewed deals last week.
“[They’re] No-brainers really,” said Nigel.
“We’ve said all along that we’re so pleased with the goalkeeping department.
“To have Christy [Pym] as number one and Scott as a back-up that we can put in at any time and wouldn’t be worried at all [is a great strength].
“Then we’ve got two good young goalkeepers coming through; Owen Mason who is out on loan at Wexford and Anthony Núñez who is going to be a first-year pro next year, who joined the club in January.
“Louie Turner is the only one who misses out. He needs to go out and play regularly.
“He’s the only one that misses out in that group but we’re happy with that department.
“Jordan [Bowery] has again featured in forty-odd games for us this season. When you do get the injuries that we do seem to get here, it is absolutely vital to have somebody like that.
“I think he’s actually played better at centre-half than he did at full-back in the last few games of the season. He did very well indeed.
“To have somebody that can fill in all over the pitch is very important.”
The boss went on to discuss plans to bring in additions.
“There’s not too much work to be done, it’s more to secure the five or six players coming in.
“Numbers-wise I think we’re going to be a little bit heavier than we usually have but I think going into a new season in League One with the injuries [it makes sense].
“We know these lads; we know that they’re good players and if we can’t get one or two in the squad then I think they’ll want to go out and play.”
Nigel finished with an update on the club’s aims to re-sign defender Lewis Brunt.
“One of them [potential additions] is Lewis Brunt who we would love to take, so we are starting negotiations with Leicester about that.
“Either [on loan or permanent], we’d just like to keep him.
“That’s the sort of thing we’ve got to discuss with Leicester.
“They have their own business to sort out at the moment, promotion celebrations and everything so we’re not sure if that will be a quick thing.
“We’re certainly ‘down the road’ with a striker and then we’re looking at a midfielder and a left-back as well.
“We’ll keep on [going] with that in the next few weeks.”
