Blackpool defender and Wigan forward: Five League One free agents Bristol Rovers could sign

With Bristol Rovers now into the third week of their off-season period, transfer speculation is starting to grow amongst supporters as the official opening date of the summer transfer windows nears closer.

Although an official date is yet to be confirmed, the summer window tends to open in mid-June but players' contracts with their new clubs won't officially begin until July 1 if they get their moves wrapped up early.

It's been almost a fortnight since Rovers released their retained list which confirmed that seven players, including captain Sam Finley and striker John Marquis, will be departing the club alongside six loanees while three players in Scott Sinclair, Jordan Rossiter and Luca Hoole have been offered new contracts.

The scale of the recruitment task the Gas face this summer has been well-known for a few months now and it is inevitable that some, if not the majority, of their business will have to come from the free agent pool. For Rovers and most EFL clubs alike, out of contract players is a popular marketplace as it means a transfer fee doesn't have to be paid while deals can also be agreed early into the summer.

Additionally, if emergency signings have to be made once the window has closed, such as the Gas' acquisition of Chris Martin last September, clubs can still sign free agents although you would hope that Rovers won't have to resort to that again.

The vast majority of League One clubs not involved in the play-offs have released their retained lists which has triggered the customary conversation amongst fans of which free agents fans believe their club should sign. There are certainly some eye-catching propositions although reasons for players picking a club tends to go deeper than just the project put on offer with location also a major factor.

It seems as though the Gas are keen to focus on signing young players that can be developed into profitable assets in the long-term but the chances are most of those will command a fee. Furthermore, Matt Taylor has previously exclaimed that adding experience will also be necessary to ensure Rovers get the balance of their squad right which is where you would imagine the free agent marketplace will come in.

Focusing on the clubs that will be in League One alongside the Gas next season while picking out players that could potentially fit in their wage budget, here are some of the free agents that have been confirmed so far that we believe Rovers should certainly be looking at...

Marvin Ekpiteta: centre-back, released by Blackpool

A regular feature in the second half of last season for a Blackpool side that finished eighth, Ekpiteta would certainly get into this current 11 having been part of the fifth-best defence in League One. Improvement at the back is an absolute must for Rovers this season after shipping 68 league goals, the fifth-worst in the third tier, and Taylor has indicated that his priority will be making the Gas more solid before then adding style and creativity with emphasis on keeping more clean sheets.

At 28, the London-born defender boasts a decent amount of experience while also having a good number of seasons left in his career. 65 of Ekpiteta's 143 appearances for the Tangerines came during their two-year stay in the Championship which also saw him chip in with a decent amount of goals for a centre-back with five in 2021/22 as well as one in 2022/23.

Having played at a higher level as well as being part of a League One play-off chasing side recently, there is a strong possibility that the centre-back is being courted by clubs that finished last season higher up the league rankings than Rovers but it would certainly mark a strong signal of intent from the Gas.

At six-foot-four, Ekpiteta isn't quite as tall as Connor Taylor but is of similar stature to James Wilson with the pair seemingly the first two choices on paper with James Connolly also an option following the loan returns of Elkan Baggott and Tristan Crama. With soon-to-be 21-year-old Jed Ward expected to remain in goal and Taylor still only 22, Rovers will need to have at least one senior option in the backline regularly if they are to be serious about solidifying at the back and Ekpiteta fits that mould, turning 29 in late August.

Harry Kite: central midfielder, released by Exeter City

One that would certainly make sense, Kite played under Taylor at St. James Park having come through the youth ranks with the Grecians. The 23-year-old is bound to be based in the south west and can still be categorised as a young player which fits the Gas' remit for this summer.

Admittedly, the midfielder did struggle with injuries over the past season which will be something Rovers will have to be particularly careful with given the availability woes they endured last term. Kite made 25 appearances for Gary Caldwell's side but only nine were league starts.

The Exeter academy graduate admitted that he was looking for "new experiences and new challenges" last month when the Devon outfit announced that he would be leaving the club and, although the Grecians finished two places and four points above the Gas in League One last season, staying in the south west and linking up with a former manager who helped embed him into first-team football as part of an exciting long-term project would seemingly be an attractive proposal if Rovers were to express an interest.

Compared to the current options in Taylor's roster, Kite would struggle to get into the first 11 as things stand with the idea of a Kamil Conteh and Jordan Rossiter double-pivot behind Antony Evans certainly tasty. However, Rossiter is yet to sign the contract offered to him while Evans is expected to be subject to interest from bigger clubs. Regardless, the Gas would still need depth in the middle of the park and Kite could certainly be a sensible, affordable option.

Sean Morrison: centre-back, released by Rotherham United

A bit of a controversial one with an iffy injury record over recent seasons but, similarly to Kite, one that could logistically make sense. Morrison was signed at Rotherham by Taylor as a free agent in January 2023 having ended his eight-year spell at Cardiff City with an anterior cruciate ligament injury in the back end of the 2021/22 season.

Born in Plymouth and having spent so long in South Wales the best part of an hour away from Bristol, the 33-year-old is no stranger to the region and also played at Swindon Town and Reading early into his career.

As mentioned previously, as exciting as signing promising young talent can be, there needs to be a healthy amount of experience, leadership and seniority blended in too and Rovers didn't have enough of that last season. Admittedly, Wilson is of a similar mould to Morrison, albeit two years older, but the centre-back is no stranger to a captain's armband and could be an addition that would be as effective off the pitch as on it.

Relegated Rotherham got 27 Championship appearances out of the 33-year-old last term having played two and 16 the previous two campaigns. The last time the defender exceeded 35 league appearances was when he started 37 second tier games for the Bluebirds in the 2020/21 season.

With an abundance of Championship experience as well as a season in the Premier League while at Cardiff, for a side that you would expect to be competing for midtable if not a top 10 finish in League One next season, it could be a decent pickup from a side like Rovers.

Stephen Humphrys: forward, released by Wigan Athletic

Wigan have released two eye-catching forwards with Charlie Wyke also a free agent but Humphrys had a particularly decent season in League One last term. The 26-year-old netted 11 goals and provided four assists in 46 appearances across all competitions and would certainly offer Rovers with something different.

A physical presence, the attacker played a lot of his football on the right wing last season but can also play striker which is one of the priority positions for the Gas to strengthen this summer and his goals and injury records are particularly strong.

According to reports, newly-promoted Wrexham bid for Humphrys in January but it's currently unclear whether the Welsh side will go back in for him. Born and having spent a decent amount of his playing career in the north west since coming through the youth ranks at Fulham, moving to Bristol could be a difficult sell but there aren't many, if any, players with a better goals tally in League One over the past season available on a free transfer than the 26-year-old. Additionally, it is understood that the forward was on Rovers' radar in the days of Graham Coughlan.

Despite playing plenty of his football out wide, Humphrys' ability to lead the line is what will be most appealing to Rovers with the Gas in desperate need of alternatives to support Chris Martin with the 35-year-old Rovers' only recognised striker now John Marquis has been released.

Max Stryjek: goalkeeper, released by Wycombe Wanderers

Another position that is an absolute must for Rovers to add to this summer is goalkeeper, regardless of whether that's someone to start the season ahead of or supporting Jed Ward. Admittedly, there aren't many options for shot stoppers released by League One clubs so far but Stryjek did actually play most of the campaign just finished as the Chairboys' number one.

The former Poland youth player made 38 appearances for Wycombe until a sending off against Stevenage saw him lose his place to Franco Ravizzoli which prompted League Two side Crewe Alexandra to take the 27-year-old on loan ahead of the play-offs. That move has proven to be extremely worthwhile with the goalkeeper heroic in Crewe's penalty shootout victory over Doncaster Rovers to book a place in the League Two play-off final.

Stryjek's immediate focus will be this Sunday's final at Wembley and, if his loan club are promoted, that could well prove to be his next destination on a permanent basis but the shot stopper would give the Gas two outstanding options in between the sticks.

It is a bit of an awkward position and you would assume that 27-year-old would only join to be Rovers' first-choice which is still a decision that's yet to be confirmed regarding Ward's place after the youngster's outstanding second half of last season but there's certainly no harm in keeping tabs.