Blackpool have been issued a warning in their pursuit of St Mirren goalkeeper Trevor Carson, as reported by The Daily Record.
The 35-year-old goalkeeper signed a new two-year deal with the Buddies earlier this year but has been gaining interest from the club’s Scottish rivals, as well as League One outfit Blackpool. However, the Northern Irishman’s potential suitors have been warned as the board have named their price for their keeper.
The St Mirren board have stated that anyone who is attempting to sign Carson will not be successful unless they pay a six-figure sum, as they value their shot-stopper as one of the best in the division.
The keeper, who is aware of the interest, currently has four clubs monitoring his situation, which includes Blackpool. The other three clubs are all in the same division as St Mirren, as Dundee, St Johnstone and former club Dundee United are all interested in the goalkeeper.
St Mirren has been somewhat of a target for many clubs in England in recent years, with the club having sold players to English clubs for offers that were hard to turn down. The club has shown their reluctance to sell their star players and their willingness to hold out for the right price, this has been proven in their recent player sales of Ethan Erhahon to Lincoln City, as well as the sale of Dylan Reid to Premier League side Crystal Palace. And just recently, the club had accepted a bid from Bolton Wanderers for Keanu Baccus, a transfer that would eventually fall through. The club expect Carson to see out the remainder of his contract with the Buddies, however, as stated, that may not be what happens, as evidenced by previous player sales.
The goalkeeper joined St Mirren last July, that move would signal the third time that St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson had signed the Irishman, having previously signed him in spells with Motherwell and League Two outfit Morecambe. Carson made 33 appearances in the league last season, keeping 10 clean sheets and conceding 45 goals, as well as saving 18% of the penalties he faced. The Buddies finished sixth in the Scottish Premiership last season.
The Buddies also appear to be preparing for Carson to make his exit, as they have today signed Middlesborough goalkeeper Zach Hemming on a season-long loan deal ahead of their pre-season preparations with the club currently in Ireland.
Writer’s View
Carson has been attracting a lot of interest and his performances have proven why, the club finished well above expectations last season. The Scottish side clearly value their number one and have named their price, it is now down to the clubs interested to pay up or move on as we have seen in the past how well the Buddies can negotiate for players.