SECURING the services of a first-team goalkeeper for the second half of the season is the top priority for Tranmere manager Les Parry.
Rovers can continue to use Gunnar Nielsen through the hectic Christmas and New Year programme when four League One games are crammed into nine days.
But Nielsen is due to leave Prenton Park on January 4 when the Faroe Islands International’s six-month loan from Manchester City comes to an end.
Parry is weighing up a range of possible options, one of which would be to ask City to extend Nielsen’s loan until the end of the season – if the Premier League giants are prepared to accept financial arrangements similar to those currently in place.
Alternatively, Rovers may attempt to re-sign Peter Gulacsi from Liverpool. The young Hungarian prospect impressed during a two-month-plus loan spell while Nielsen was sidelined by injury. But that would depend on Liverpool making Gulacsi available at a time when he may be required for first-team cover at Anfield.
Other keepers are on Tranmere’s shortlist, both as permanent and loan signings. Parry said: “At this moment our priority is sorting out the goalkeeper situation four January.
“We have four options: keeping Gunnar, re-signing Peter Gulacsi, signing another keeper on loan or signing a goalkeeper on a permanent basis.
“At the beginning of the season we said we were looking to sign a goalkeeper of our own and we spoke to a number of people. Unfortunately we couldn’t agree terms with them.”
Some of Tranmere’s summer targets asked for wages beyond Parry’s budget. The next target was a season-long deal for Gulacsi, who left behind a favourable impression during a five game will loan spell at the end of last season.
However, Liverpool were still in the process of finding a replacement for Rafa Benitez. Parry explained: “Liverpool did not have a manager at the time so no one could give us an answer on Peter. So we went to Manchester City and arranged to take Gunnar for six months.” The thigh and shoulder injuries Nielsen sustained on international duty for the Faroe Islands kept the 24-year-old out for more than two months. By that time Roy Hodgson was in charge at Anfield and agreed to release Gulacsi to Tranmere on a short-term loan basis.
Parry says he is reluctant to consider promoting current first-team understudy Joe Collister to the number one spot. The 19-year-old has nine first-team appearances under his felt this season but Parry said: “This is a young lad we are talking about. Joe will be a good keeper, as will Andy Coughlin from our youth team and hopefully next season they are the keepers we are looking at.”
