Harrogate Town reach agreement with versatile Football League defender

Harrogate Town manager Simon Weaver. Picture: Matt Kirkham

Simon Weaver's overhaul of his Sulphurites squad has gathered pace in recent weeks and shows no sign of slowing up with another arrival expected imminently.

An announcement regarding a permanent deal for a versatile defender with plenty of League Two experience is likely to be made on Wednesday.

And that move is not the only one that Town are hopeful will be wrapped up in the near future.

Matty Daly, left, became Harrogate Town's seventh acquisition of the summer when he joined on a season-long loan deal from Championship Huddersfield.

"We've reached an agreement with a defender who is comfortable at both centre-half and right-back and can also play further forwards," Weaver told the Harrogate Advertiser on Tuesday afternoon.

"We've also got an attack-minded right-back in on trial as well as another forward player, who we're having a look at.

"And, we still need someone to provide cover for the left-hand side, so we are leaving a loan slot open for the time being.

"There are a couple who we have to be patient with because they're young lads at Championship clubs who will want them there while they're playing their first pre-season friendlies.

"They won't want to be over-using their first-team players and also they'll want to have a good look at these lads themselves before they let them go out on loan. So we'll have to wait and see."

Weaver confirmed earlier on Tuesday that 18-year-old Leeds United striker Max Dean was one of a number of forwards whom Town have been keeping tabs on, but stated that no approach has been made to the Whites as yet.

Harrogate have already signed goalkeeper Pete Jameson, defenders Kyle Ferguson, Joe Mattock and Jaheim Headley, plus midfielders Stephen Dooley, Josh Austerfield and Matty Daly.

Veteran centre-half Rory McArdle has agreed a one-year contract extension, while promising academy midfielder George Horbury this week penned a professional contract.

This means that Weaver currently has 20 first-team players at his disposal, though transfer-listed defenders Nathan Sheron and Leon Legge and striker Aaron Martin are all set to depart Wetherby Road sooner rather than later.