Walsall have submitted a second bid in their chase of Northern Ireland and Larne midfielder Dylan Sloan.
The Saddlers are looking to bounce back from their torrid end to last season, which saw them slip away from automatic promotion, followed by a playoff final exit at Wembley to AFC Wimbledon. Their pre-season preparation has gone well so far, securing a win against a strong Aston Villa side, including Ross Barkley and Tyrone Mings.
New Offer Lodged
According to The Newsletter in Belfast, Walsall have submitted a new, second offer to Larne for midfielder Dylan Sloan, after having their original bid rejected earlier this month. A two-time Northern Irish Premiership winner, the 21-year-old has nearly 100 senior appearances to his name, both for the Inver Park side as well as Newry City AFC.
Sloan has garnered plenty of European experience too whilst at Larne, playing 20 times and featuring in all six of their UEFA Conference League games last season, the first time the County Antrim side had qualified for the league phase of any European competition in their history. Last season he had 43 appearances in total as they finished a distant second to runaway champions Linfield.
Midfield has been a particular area of interest for Mat Sadler this off-season, with former player Romaine Sawyers featuring on trial following his release from fellow League Two side Bristol Rovers. With Jack Earing also leaving the club following the expiry of his contract, the Saddlers have places available in their squad for new options.
Writers’ View
Walsall have seemingly returned to previous target Dylan Sloan as they look to bolster their side ahead of next season. At just 21, he already has multiple championships and trophies to his name at Larne as well as a wealth of experience in European competition, a rare commodity in League Two. With Walsall aiming to redeem themselves from last season’s capitulation, having somebody who has tasted success at such a young age could be a major boost to their chances. Of course, it is unknown how he will adapt to a change to English football but all the evidence points to this being an exciting deal should Larne accept this latest offer.
