On Sunday it was claimed that an experienced defender had emerged on the radar of League Two side Cheltenham Town, but those reports have been shut down almost immediately.
Steve Cotterill’s side have had a mixed bag of results so far this season, picking up a win, draw and defeat in their opening three league matches, placing them 12th in the current standings, ahead of Tuesday’s home fixture against in-form York City.
The Robins have been busy in the transfer window so far, landing several additions including Barrow midfielder Charlie McCann, Port Vale‘s Jordan Shipley and Derby County forward Andreas Weimann as they aim to push further up the League Two standings, following a difficult 2025/26 season.
However, with the window remaining open for just shy of 48 hours, clubs begin the rush period of getting their final touches across the line and Cheltenham could be involved in that.
Local journalist shuts down Cheltenham transfer claim
Throughout the entirety of a transfer window, it isn’t uncommon to see one journalist suggest that a particular club are interested in a player – only for another to shut that down before it grows any legs and this has occurred with the Robins.
On Sunday, journalist Pete O’Rourke reported that Cheltenham Town held an interest in former Carlisle United defender Terell Thomas, alongside fellow League Two side Exeter City.
Thomas is yet to find a new home after leaving the National League side earlier this summer, with the centre-back having contributed to two goals across 27 league outings for then-manager Mark Hughes.
However, any suggestion of a potential move to the Robins has been shut down by Gloucestershire Live journalist Jon Palmer. Addressing the transfer claim, Palmer stated…
‘Understand reports linking Cheltenham Town with former Carlisle United and Charlton Athletic defender Terell Thomas are not accurate.’
The 28-year-old is currently a free agent and thus can join his next side after the summer transfer window closes, ensuring that he isn’t in a rush to secure his next deal – though it would certainly play a positive part on his campaign.
Is this a mistake from Cheltenham?
Thomas in particular is an experienced centre-back, having played Championship football with Reading and featured heavily in the third tier with Charlton Athletic and AFC Wimbledon.
However, the 2025/26 season saw the 28-year-old start just 22 times in the league itself but still won over 54% of the duels he faced and played a role in guiding the club through to the play-off picture.
That said, Thomas had a couple of injuries and failed to lodge a proper challenge to the starting position which likely played a key role in their failure to secure promotion and thus him being released without a new deal being required.
Though his arrival would be a low-risk addition, Cheltenham are likely aiming towards a mid-table finish this season and adding players who will struggle with that possible step up won’t be appealing to the Robins.
