Yahoo News Grimsby Town deal for Derry City's Cameron McJannet at 'advanced stage'
According to various reports from Ireland, Grimsby Town look set to complete the signing of Derry City centre-back Cameron McJannet.
The Irish News reported that the 25-year-old was set to travel down to Blundell Park to agree on personal terms and complete a medical before a move. McJannet, who is English, informed Derry manager Ruaidhri Higgins of his desire to return to his native country, and it seems Grimsby is his next destination.
McJannet’s contract with his current club runs until the end of the league season in Ireland, which is not until the end of November, so there is a transfer fee involved in the deal, which is said to be at an advanced stage.
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The EFL transfer window opens today (June 14), but for the League of Ireland, it opens on July 1, so while there could be confirmation of an agreement between the two clubs before that date, it will not be finalised until then.
The left-footed centre-back made 144 appearances during his four years with Derry, scoring 11 goals, including two in the FAI Cup final victory against Shelbourne in 2022. He has been a mainstay in the side since his debut in August 2020 and is seen as one of the top defenders playing in Ireland.
McJannet was made vice-captain of Derry last season by Higgins, with his versatility as a defender being recognised as a key attribute of his game and one that the Mariners will appreciate greatly if they can finalise a deal.
"There's obviously been discussions between the two clubs," confirmed Higgins to the Derry Journal. "Cameron's contract is up at the end of the season. He's an English lad and I can understand it to be honest. He's from that part of the world and has a desire to go back there.
"I can't speak highly enough of him - he's been a brilliant servant to the club and he's been great for me. He's been here from the first day I walked in the door, so we'll see what happens.
“It's important that it's right for the club, but also we have to respect Cameron’s wishes as well. His contract is up at the end of the season, and he won't renew it. He's an English lad and has always harboured ambitions of going back over to England. If it does materialise he'll go with our best wishes."
The Stoke City academy product is highly thought of at Derry, and Town’s intentions to shop outside the English market where they can are made clear with this transfer, exploring a market which has become popular with EFL clubs of late.
Town have also been scouting in the Faroe Islands and Iceland for hidden talent as they look to build a squad to the liking of David Artell, who wants to evolve his team’s play style next season.
There will likely be other deals confirmed soon alongside McJannet, with the squad needing to be filled out ahead of the return for pre-season in just a couple of weeks.
