Stockport County could be set to lose one of their midfielders on a permanent deal, following his strong start to life on loan away from the League One side.
The club needed extra time to overcome non-League side Cray Wanderers in the FA Cup at the weekend, though they have been in strong form in the league itself, finding themselves second in the table and just three points off league-leaders Huddersfield Town.
Within their first-team squad, a busy summer adding to an already high-quality side, meant that select individuals would need to depart on temporary agreements for regular minutes – with examples already including Callum Camps and Ryan Rydel.
Stockport midfielder tipped for permanent exit
Of the two players mentioned, midfielder Callum Camps is the one who has wasted no time in making his presence felt for National League promotion-hopefuls Carlisle United in recent weeks.
The 30-year-old had made just two appearances for Stockport this season, contributing to two goals in the process – though both appearances came in the EFL Trophy, suggesting he was out of favour.
Since arriving at Brunton Park, Camps has made three appearances and has found the back of the net during a 4-2 victory against high-flying Altrincham, to help move Rob Elliot’s side to within touching distance of the play-off places once again.
However, following Saturday’s FA Cup victory against Salford City, Elliot was asked by BBC Sport Cumbria about whether Camps could join the club permanently – to which he stated…
“We had a chat yesterday in training to ask him if he was enjoying it and he was. It’s not something I want to put pressure on him for; let’s just enjoy him while he’s here. I think it will be up to Campy whether he wants to (sign permanently).”
Camps is under contract with Stockport County until the end of the 2026/27 campaign, but is only scheduled to be with Carlisle until January, when his current loan agreement expires.
Earlier this month, Camps himself admitted that ‘every option is under consideration’ when discussing whether his current loan agreement could be extended or made permanent in the coming weeks.
Is a permanent move the right decision?
His lack of game time at present with Stockport County suggests strongly that Camps isn’t in their plans at present; especially with their fight for promotion to the Championship continuing with each passing week and with the January transfer window creeping closer, they are likely to want to add to their squad further.
Therefore, this would push the 30-year-old further down the pecking order – leaving him with a decision to make with just six months remaining on his contract.
However, Camps’ performances since joining Carlisle United have already made him a fan favourite, with Elliot himself admitting that the midfielder is enjoying his time with the club.
A permanent move to the Blues would allow some stability for the midfielder, allowing him to continue enjoying his football and giving him a strong opportunity to finish the campaign with silverware.
On the other hand, his performances could attract League Two interest during the January transfer window, though this would mean that Camps would be required to settle in with his third set of teammates and risk unsettling him once again.
Therefore, Carlisle making a permanent move for the 30-year-old could prove to be the best decision for all parties, especially if he manages to maintain his strong start to the campaign.
