Cheltenham Town are facing yet more disappointment as a rival League Two side have agreed a deal for a current Robins player.
The Gloucestershire club were relegated to the fourth tier after a tough season which saw Burton Albion pip them to survival by two points. Boss Darrell Clarke left the club for Barnsley, with former Swindon Town boss Michael Flynn taking over last month.
His spell in charge has already seen many new faces through the door including former Wrexham captain Luke Young and Northampton Town fullback Ryan Haynes, with a return to some familiar names such as former manager Gary Johnson in a director role.
But they are set for a blow to their squad as Football Insider report that Elliot Bonds is set to leave Cheltenham for a move to also-relegated Fleetwood Town. The 24-year-old joined the club in 2021 from Hull City and has made over 100 appearances in league competition, scoring five times.
The Guyanan international appeared in 38 of the Robins’ 46 League One games last season, with both goals he scored coming against Blackpool in February. Bonds has limited experience in League Two, having played just five times for Cheltenham in his debut season at the club before a loan move to Kidderminster Harriers.
GloucestershireLive reporter Jon Palmer confirmed the reports and added that more players could follow the midfielder out of the door this window.
The Cod Army have already made moves in the middle of the park this window with the signing of Matty Virtue on a two-year deal from local rivals Blackpool. Fleetwood finished just one point and place behind Cheltenham on 43 points.
Writer’s View
Cheltenham Town have lost a lot of key players over the summer, including Luke Southwood and Liam Sercombe, so losing Elliot Bonds is yet another blow to keeping some form of rhythm going into next season. Michael Flynn has signed three new midfielders in Luke Young, Scot Bennett and the return of Harry Pell so it looks like there will be an entirely new lineup in the centre of the park come August.
The former Newport County boss said that he wanted ‘togetherness’ in his side going into next season so a player like Luke Young will be a commanding and important figure in achieving that goal. He was a key reason behind Wrexham’s back-to-back promotions so having a leader like him for a team that will be reeling from their relegation will be crucial to steady the ship if needed.