Bristol Rovers will have to start thinking about who they offer contract extensions to with numerous players’ deals set to expire next year]

Bristol Rovers have had a busy couple of months in terms of recruitment, having completed 12 recruits during the summer transfer window and given a short-term agreement to free agent Chris Martin towards the end of September. Furthermore, former Blackburn Rovers and Middlesbrough defender Daniel Ayala is now practicing with the Gas and might be added before the January transfer window begins.

However, when it came to contract extensions, Rovers acted quickly, as Josh Grant (May) and Grant Ward (June) signed one-year and two-year extensions, respectively, with the latter being the latest player to extend their current stay at the club. Over the next few months, talks and decisions will have to be made with more than half of the current squad having contracts that will expire in 2024.

Granted, there are presently five loanees at Rovers, and some players have a further year included in their contract, but there are early indicators that next summer will be busy again, regardless of the level the Gas are in. As Joey Barton has often stated, there is an internal belief that the club may gain promotion to the Championship this season, with League One being the worst it has been in a lot of years.

Looking at their team, Rovers clearly have talent that offer them a strong chance of at least mounting a challenge, but there will undoubtedly be players who are uneasy heading into the new year Furthermore, athletes have six months or less left on their contracts  will be able to sign pre-contract agreements with other clubs. The club must identify the individuals that they want to keep soon in order for work on negotiations to start.

2024

• Chris Martin (January)
• Matt Cox (season-long loan)
• Tristan Crama (season-long loan)
• Ryan Woods (season-long loan)
• Lamare Bogarde (season-long loan)
• Harvey Vale (season-long loan)
• Sam Finley
• James Belshaw
• Lewis Gordon
• George Friend
• Luca Hoole
• James Gibbons
• Jordan Rossiter
• Josh Grant (option of extra year)
• Scott Sinclair
• John Marquis

After a couple more appearances, a decision on whether or not the club want to extend Martin’s short-term deal will surely be made promptly. However, he is one of six players aged 31 or over who will see their current deal expire next year, albeit six months sooner than his teammates.

Loanees can be ignored because the expiration of their stays were always going to come next summer. Although, it isn’t peculiar for past loan players to re-join permanently down the line as most recently shown by Connor Taylor.