Boss expects deal expected to be completed today.
Manager Paul Cox has revealed that he expects the paperwork which will see striker James Alabi join us on a one-month loan from Stoke City, to be completed today.
The teenage frontman has been training with our squad this week, but the Football League are yet to ratify the paperwork required to complete the deal.
āIām hoping that all the paperwork will be completed by the close of play, today,ā said our boss.
āIt seems to have been an ongoing saga with James, but Iām hoping that heāll be signed in time for the game at Southend of Friday.
āHeāll add quality [to our squad], as heās a young professional at a Premier League club and heās very similar to Matt Green in terms of what he does.
āHeās a good player, heās scored a lot of goals at Under 21 and reserve team level, and Iām hoping heāll do what weāve been missing, which is put the ball in the back of the net.ā
When asked about how the frontman came to his attention, Cox replied: āIt was just through normal scouting and talking to people.
āI pop down to a number of Under 21 games to keep my eye on players, and heās always stood out.
āI heard earlier in the season that he had turned down a number of clubs because he wanted to stay at Stoke City, so we didnāt think he was on our radar.
āSo weāre happy that heās with us. Heās trained well and looked the part in training, and hopefully he will give us extra competition for a place up front."
He added: āLike we did with the boy from Nottingham Forest (Jack Blake), we have got to make sure that weāre not throwing him in, without acclimatising him.
āBut heās very much in our plans for Fridayās game.ā