DAVID BUCHANAN’S arrival at Prenton Park is going to turn up the competitive heat in the Tranmere squad, manager Les Parry believes.
Buchanan, who signed this week, has the experience to put the pressure on popular Frenchman Zoumana Bakayogo for the left-back spot in the forthcoming League One campaign.
The 25-year-old’s career statistics show close to 250 career games for Bury and Hamilton Academical.
Parry said: “We need as much competition as possible. Generally we look for players who are up-and-coming. In David, we have competition for Zoum in a player who has 200 games under his belt. That gives us a bit of quality. David won’t see himself as backup. He will see it as a straight fight between him and Zoum to get in from the start.”
Rochdale-born Buchanan began his career with Bury and played 215 games for the Shakers between 2005 and his release in 2010. He then spent a season in the Scottish Premier League with Hamilton, playing 30 games in a campaign that ended in relegation.
Manager Parry is expecting to make further additions to the squad over the next few days.
Frontman Lucas Akins has agreed to sign the contract offered to him this summer while Rovers are ready to offer terms to David Raven.
The former Liverpool and Carlisle defender has been training and playing with Tranmere during the pre-season programme while looking for another club, following his release by Shrewsbury Town at the end of last season.
Parry said: “We had a sit-down with David this week and I said I would like him to stay with us. We are going to make him an offer and then it’s up to him.”
Tranmere used just one triallist in Wednesday night’s 1-1 draw with a Manchester United XI – Nicolaj Misiuk. The others who saw action over the last week have been released.
Lithuanian striker Misiuk is hoping to show Parry that he can be a viable alternative if Brazilian Vinni Dantas is unable to secure a work permit and sign for Rovers.
Parry explained: “We told Nicolaj’s agent that we didn’t have an opening for an out-and-out striker but if Vinni Dantas isn’t granted a work permit then we might have one. So they asked us if Nicolaj could come in and let us have a look at him for a week or two. If Vinni’s signing does not go through, then we will have an idea if Nicolaj is someone we want or not.”
Dantas’s application for a work permit is due to be heard on Monday.
Parry says he is talking to a player released by a Championship club last week.
Parry said: “The lad would still like to find another club in the Championship and is willing to hold out for just a little longer to get one.
“But if he does not get fixed up before Monday, he will be coming in and having a look at as in we will have a look at him.”
Parry said he was pleased by Tranmere’s performance on Wednesday. “We got everything out of the game we wanted,” he said.
Tonight’s friendly fixture at Shrewsbury Town should give Rovers a taste of what they can expect when they take on Chesterfield in the opening League One game a week tomorrow.
Parry said: “Shrewsbury are really a League One club who happen to be in League Two. We will treat it as a league game and it will give us a good indication of how we are progressing.”
Parry plans to give goalkeeper Owain Fon Williams’s his first outing of the summer in this evening’s match after leaving the Welshman on the sidelines as a precaution against a thigh strain.
