Stags' boss David Flitcroft has provided updates on the club's current stance in the transfer market, including the latest on strikers Danny Rose and Lee Angol, along with his opinion on whether Mansfield could have further incomings this week.
The manager, speaking in this morning's news conference, took time to speak on his relationship with Rose, which he says the facts prove is a healthy one.
"We've reiterated and stated, at the chairman's request, that there is a valuation that as a football club we have put on Danny [Rose]," he said. "If that is met, then we will probably do business.
"Danny has obviously stated that he wants to leave the club and he's given that to the chairman. He's told the chairman that he wants to leave and wants to play at a higher level.
"It's probably a waiting game with Danny. We have until Thursday [before the transfer window closes].
"I'm very proud with all the work I have done with some top players in this country. Whether that is Nick Pope, John Stones, Danny Drinkwater, Ricardo Vaz Te, Craig Dawson, Glenn Murray. I'm very proud.
"What I've done for Danny and when I look at our history together and the facts behind it, we've done a lot together. He certainly helped me get a Championship job with Barnsley.
"I gave Danny his debut, he ended up scoring against Burnley in the cup, and we ended up playing Man City that year. I left there and went to Bury, where I convinced the chairman to pay a substantial fee for Danny.
"I was getting up at seven in the morning swimming with him, cycling with him [in Portugal]. I'm not doing that for another club. I'm doing that so Danny is fit to play for Mansfield Town."
"We had a fantastic time and won promotion together. Danny was outstanding. When I went to League One [with Bury], I brought in Leon Clarke and Tom Pope in, two top-end goalscorers. I then had a sensible conversation with Danny about moving on and how he's not a third-choice striker.
"Danny was then sold to Mansfield and he's had a fantastic tenure here. All last season he played in every game [when available]. I'm not too sure where these stories [rumours in the media that the manager and Rose don't get on] are coming from.
"That just sets the record straight to my relationship with Danny. Even in Portugal, I was getting up at seven in the morning swimming with him, cycling with him. I'm not doing that for another club. I'm doing that so Danny is fit to play for Mansfield Town. That was the reasoning behind it.
"It's part of life, that media speculation. You can't argue with facts that are there."
On Saturday it was confirmed that the Stags had accepted a bid from Grimsby Town for striker Lee Angol, but the manager says after having spoke to the 24-year-old, Lee decided that the move 'wasn't right' for him.
"I spoke to Lee [Angol] on Sunday" he added. "He didn't feel the move was right for him. Once you accept a bid, the player has to feel right about the move.
"Lee's turned the move down which, in any negotiation, the player has the right to do that. If Lee stays it gives me that chance to work with him and improve him, like we're trying to do with all the players.
"I look at players like Mal Benning and CJ Hamilton who have absolutely committed to what we are doing. If Lee embraces that and we work on him running in behind and getting in the box more, because he's a talent, then I do believe we'll have a good season with him.
"I have to make him become that number nine who absolutely leads the line for Mansfield. We have to give our supporters what they deserve from Lee.
"That's probably a longer term project than what I've had with him up to now. We have to get that consistency in him.
"If he doesn't end up going, I have to work with Lee on that and he has to work with us, to keep improving him."
Stags' boss Flitcroft further explained that he is fully prepared for every scenario before the transfer window draws to a close on Thursday.
"You never know what is going to happen," he said. "There will be twists and turns. There are obviously potential outgoings which have been well-documented.
"That might allow us to bring in one or two replacements. We just don't know what's going to happen. That's where it's at.
"I think it's exciting for the fans. We're not doing our job if we've not got replacements lined up or if we're not solid in our recruitment.
"We've been planning over six or seven days now the 'what if?' scenario, because you have to. That's what we're working on."
The manager also spoke of the recent acquisition of defender Ryan Sweeney, who the Stags have signed on loan from Stoke City.
"He is a young centre-half who in the academy is used to playing wide against a wide striker, or a central striker who takes up wide positions.
"He's left-sided, which is vital. He's good in both boxes and he embraces defending. It was sort of a no-brainer. I know Darrell Clarke [manager at Bristol Rovers] really well, and I chatted to Darrell at length on Ryan.
"I agonised over to whether to go with Lewis Gibbens. But I think what that would've done when the window shut is, if he'd have had to come in and spend 12 to 14 weeks in the team, it could've had an adverse effect.
"The pressure is on us to win a lot of football matches this season, which is good. Gibbens is one of our own and it might be a good idea to take our time with his development.
"That's one thing I agonised over, I really did. But I think that we have really sufficient cover, and it also gives me the opportunity at times to put Pearce central and move Hayden [White] back into a wing-back position.
"I just felt that I didn't want to go five months with a locked down system. I genuinely felt that we needed cover there and that's the decision."
iFollow Stags subscribers can watch this morning's news conference in full by logging into mansfieldtown.net/ifollow later today.
