Peterborough United have had a bid turned down by League Two side Cheltenham Town for one of their star forwards.
Cheltenham already rejected a bid for Ethon Archer at the start of the transfer window in June. Stevenage then valued Archer at £100,000 and were unwilling to push their bid further as Cheltenham rebuffed their offer. Ethon Archer signed a new two-year contract in March, putting Cheltenham in a much stronger position to demand higher fees for one of their best players.
However, just because Stevenage wouldn’t push their offer forward doesn’t mean that interest in the Cheltenham forward dwindled. There has been interest from across League One and League Two, however, it seems incredibly unlikely that Archer will stay in the fourth-division.
Cheltenham Town reject Peterborough’s offer
After Stevenage’s failure to sign Ethon Archer in June, there has been interest in the winger, however, Peterborough United are by far the most tempted. This week they have put in a bid which was “significantly higher” than the £100,000 bid by Stevenage.
However, Jon Palmer, of Gloucestershire Live, has now reported that the Robins have rejected Peterborough’s initial bid this week.
Cheltenham are set to play Cambridge United on Saturday, and it may be that they are not willing to part with such an important player at such short notice. There is also the possibility of Ethon Archer impressing in the early stages of the season, potential raising his market value higher as clubs become more desperate towards the end of the window. Cheltenham should be wary to leave the sale too late though, as it would become much more difficult to find a replacement.
Why do Peterborough United want Ethon Archer?
The jump from a mid-table League Two to Peterborough United, a team that should be reasonably comfortable in League One this season, is no doubt a big one, but it has been achieved by plenty of the fourth-division’s best players in recent seasons.
Ethon Archer has plenty of qualities that would enable him to make the jump. His most standout statistic comes from his goal contributions, adding 13 goals and assists to the club’s tally.
Of these 13 contributions, Archer added seven goals and six assists, with the latter being the highest of any player at Cheltenham. His willingness to attack the opposition net is also a prime quality, contributing the third-highest total shots per 90 at the club behind Jordan Thomas and Luke Young.
At just 22 years old, 23 this month, Ethon Archer still has plenty of development to go and he will prove to be a project for whichever club he ends up at. His path to professional football has already been impressive, coming through the non-league tiers and working part time as an Amazon delivery driver until just over a year ago. After his impressive season in League Two, those delivery days will undoubtedly soon be a distant memory.
