Bristol Rovers have reportedly agreed on a deal with former Rotherham United midfielder Jamie Lindsay who wasn’t offered a new deal at the end of last season.
The 28-year-old midfielder is reportedly set to have a medical today ahead of a move to The Gas according to Football Insider. If a deal was to happen it would become their tenth acquisition of the Summer window.
Who is Jamie Lindsay?
The Scotsman came through the ranks at Celtic with his first loan spell away from Celtic Park being with Dumbarton for the 15/16 season where he would go on to play 28 times.
Upon returning to Celtic, he was sent on loan again for the 16/17 season joining Morton in the Scottish Championship making 40 appearances and scoring three goals.
A third loan spell was to follow for the 17/18 season with Ross County before joining them permanently at the end of the season. He went on to play 81 times scoring 11 goals.
At the start of the 19/20 season, the Scottish U19 International joined Rotherham where he spent five years accumulating 161 appearances winning promotion from League One on two occasions.
What is the midfield situation at Bristol Rovers?
If Matt Taylor was to continue with his 4-2-3-1 shape Lindsey would play in part of a double pivot. After Jordan Rossiter didn’t agree on terms with the club on a new deal and Sam Finley was not offered a new deal, it leaves The Gas short on depth in the midfield positions.
In terms of players that can currently play there, Kamil Conteh joined the club in the January window from Grimsby Town making 17 appearances for The Gas in the second half of the season winning 5.91 duels per 90.
Grant Ward is the other option they have to play in deeper-lying midfield positions he made a total of 20 appearances in League One last season but is much more of a technical player rather than a ball-winning midfielder like Conteh and Lindsay.
Other midfield options include Luke McCormick and Isaac Hutchinson but these midfielders are much more of a number 10 style midfielder rather than a deep-lying one.
Would this be a good signing for Bristol Rovers?
Lindsay would firstly add promotion-winning experience to a Rovers team which so far this summer has recruited younger players. Lindsay not only has promotion-winning experience but has over 90 games played at the Championship level as well as 50 at League One bringing a know-how to an inexperienced Rovers midfield, especially at League One level.
I believe the midfielder especially not requiring a transfer fee would prove to be an excellent business for Bristol Rovers, last time Lindsay played in League One with Rotherham in their promotion season he averaged 1.97 tackles won per 90 which ranked him in the 90% percentile, so would be an excellent addition to protect the back four alongside Conteh.