Lifting promotion back to League One just yesterday, Notts County have kick-started their summer window with perhaps one of the biggest signings in the EFL yet.
County made no hard work of the job at Wembley, comfortably leading by two goals in the first half before Jodi Jones sealed the Magpies’ return to League One in the 70th minute, a division which Meadow Lane has not seen for over a decade.
Now, as reported by Pete O’Rourke, Notts County have agreed a deal for Cal Roberts, who recently turned down a new contract with National League outfit Scunthorpe United.
Cal Roberts Set For Notts County Return
Scunthorpe fans were largely inclined to Roberts’ departure the moment they lost away at Rochdale in the play-offs. During his time with the club, he made over 100 appearances, scoring 46 goals.
Vital to the Iron’s promotion from the regional divisions, he spearheaded the club toward an unlikely possibility of two consecutive promotions this season, shortly after the club had faced crisis after crisis under Peter Swann and David Hilton’s respective ownerships.
https://x.com/SUFCOfficial/status/2059303929305813308?s=20
It was announced earlier today that Cal Roberts will exit Glanford Park following the expiry of his contract, with the forward agreeing terms with an EFL club. Now, his destination appears to be promotion-winners Notts County.
Magpie fans will know the forward all too well. Playing for the club between 2020 and 2022, he consistently showed talent far above the level he played at, but his career was often defined by persistent injury struggles.
He first left County for Aberdeen in 2022, only making four appearances for the club. Though his move down to the National League North with Scunthorpe has completely revitalised his career, featuring week-in-week-out and starring across the Iron’s promotion challenges.
Notts County’s Summer Ambitions
Notts County have shown little fear in the transfer window. Their recruitment has often been considered and proactive, as they reportedly had a bid rejected for Southend United’s Leon Chambers-Parillon.
The attentiveness shown so early in the window is a sign of a club with a plan, so it will be interesting to see how the rest of the window pans out for the club now that they carry the appeal of League One football.
While this signing seems to evade the club’s usual data-led model, his talent is not exactly a secret. He fills a forward position behind Alassana Jatta that the club needed to address, with Jayden Luker and Tom Iorpenda likely to play against Notts for their parent clubs next season.
And if he can continue his fitness levels shown throughout his time in North Lincolnshire, Notts fans will know they have a player more than ready to step up to the third-tier challenge.
4 responses
Not sure about this for us! Older than I would like and not proven at this level plus, spent most of his time injured when last with us!! Everything crossed for Cal and Notts this time around!
A bit of a gamble on his continued fitness I would say but good luck Cal
We need to replace iorpenda
He’s been virtually injury free while with the Iron but it’s still a gamble for Notts due to his past injury problems. By the way, Scunthorpe is in North Lincolnshire not North East Lincolnshire.