Cheltenham Town manager Michael Flynn has confirmed attacking duo Jordan Thomas and Ethon Archer are highly unlikely to be at the football club next season, amidst the opening of the summer transfer window.
The attacking duo have impressed once again for the Robins in League Two and have been at the focal point of their mid-season revival, even despite their failure to secure a play-off place in what argubly was a transitional campaign regardless.
With Cheltenham having nothing left to play for in terms of their respective season from a mathematical perspective, their attention can now turn to the summer transfer window and building a squad that can compete at the top end of the table next season.
Duo set for Cheltenham exit
As confirmed in his post-match interview on Easter Monday (quotes via Gloucestershire Live), Michael Flynn confirmed that he isn’t anticipating that either Thomas or Archer will be at the football club next season.
Caleb Taylor’s superb loan stint at the club as well as their development of Mo Eisa are recent examples of how successful the League Two side can be in terms of developing players and Thomas & Archer are no different.
Both players have played a starring role for Cheltenham Town and are unsurprisingly the centre of attention.
Speaking after the game when asked about whether they could keep the duo longer than the summer, Flynn stated…
“Probably for about two weeks. I don’t think we’ll keep either of them to be honest. I would probably say Jordan (Thomas) will go first.”
When asked further about Archer’s new deal giving the club a better position, he added…
“Yes, it does put us in a strong position, but they are fantastic lads. I am harsh on them every day but there is a reason for that,
“I know they have potential and I’ll do it in the right way, but I want them to fulfil their potential because they are two great lads who I have a lot of time for.”
How have they fared this season?
Thomas has been a vital asset on the right-hand side for Cheltenham Town this season and his recent form has seen him score twice in his last three outings.
After making a total of 14 outings last season, he’s more than tripled that this season and has 11 goal contributions in 44 matches across all competitions.
Similarly, Archer also scored in his most recent outing for Cheltenham Town and remains a key member on the opposite side to Thomas.
In his breakout season, the 22-year-old has contributed to 12 goals in 49 matches across all competitions which is a brilliant return given his lack of experience prior to this season.
How will their departures help Cheltenham?
Admittedly, their exits will leave Cheltenham with two major holes that will need filling this summer from a recruitment perspective but financially speaking there are a lot of benefits.
The club will gain immediate funds to help improve the overall quality of Cheltenham’s first-team squad heading into the new campaign.
Similarly, both departures will like contain sell-on clauses that will also benefit the Robins further down the line. Thomas himself has already caught the attention of Championship side Millwall.
Although it would be two huge losses, the benefits from a financial perspective would be very tough for a side like Cheltenham to turn down.
