Doncaster Rovers have agreed a deal with League Two promotion hopefuls Salford City for star winger Luke Molyneux.
The 28-year-old’s future in South Yorkshire was cast into serious doubt earlier in the week when Grant McCann confirmed that one side had tabled a bid after he rejected a new contract with the club.
Speaking with the club on the situation, the Northern Irish boss said:
“We sat down as staff, and with Gavin (Baldwin), and I said, look, we need to tie these two down. Luke, unfortunately, has not wanted to get into negotiations. He’s rejected a deal, which is his prerogative, so that’s where he is.
“We’ve rejected a bid for Luke, so that’s in discussion the minute, this came after the offer of the contract – we offered the contract way before the bid. That’s where we are with Luke and we’ll see how that progresses.”
Salford Strike Statement Signing
Molyneux’s destination has now since been confirmed, with Football League World initially reporting that it was Salford City who were closing in on a deal for the winger, who scored eight times and provided 11 assists in Rovers’ first season back in League One.
Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke has since confirmed that a deal had been struck between the Ammies and Doncaster, sending the former Hartlepool United man down a division.
It is yet another statement of intent from the Moor Lane club, having recently splashed out a heavy fee to sign Ryan Graydon in January, and have since backed that up with moves for Will Norris, Macaulay Langstaff and Abraham Odoh among others this summer.
Joining Doncaster in 2022 on a free transfer, Molyneux has been a standout under Grant McCann, playing a pivotal role in their promotion back to the third tier with 18 goals and 13 assists across all competitions in the 2024/25 campaign.
Molyneux Move Makes Ammies Favourites
Salford City’s near misses across recent seasons when it comes to their goal of a first-ever promotion to League One has clearly lit a fire under Gary Neville and the rest of the ownership group, and now, with a new manager in the form of Peter Cklamovski at the helm, they are ready to go all in to get over that line.
Luke Molyneux marks a second statement move of the summer at Moor Lane, having already splashed out heavily for Macaulay Langstaff earlier in the window and with that pair joined by the dynamic Kelly Nmai and Ryan Graydon, Salford surely have the strongest attack in League Two.
The winger was good enough to play for most League One sides based on his previous two seasons, so for Molyneux to reject a new contract in favour of a move down a division to Salford highlights the financial muscle the Ammies have at their disposal.
Having constructed a squad of some League One veterans now on top of a current crop of players which fell narrowly short at Wembley against Notts County, City will now be the favourites to clinch the title come May.
Where Does This Leave Doncaster?
For Grant McCann and Doncaster Rovers, losing out on Luke Molyneux will be a bitter pill to swallow with two weeks left until their season opener away at Stockport County in the EFL Cup.
Molyneux was certainly a pivotal figure in their hopes of improving upon a promising mid-table finish, and now they will have to search for some adequate replacements in the window.
One option could be in League Two already, with Bristol Rovers’ Shaq Forde already being targeted by an unnamed League One side, albeit it may be a deal that could be hard to clinch given Steve Evans’ hesitancy to sell.
Alternatively, if they want a more versatile option that can play across the pitch and immediately reinvest the funds they have just gained, then perhaps they could launch an audacious bid for Jaze Kabia of nearby Grimsby Town, with news of his future going quiet over the summer.
