Tony Mowbray says the agreement to allow Harry Pickering to return to Crewe Alexandra was the only way the deadline-day deal would be concluded.
The signing of Pickering, for an initial fee of £650,000, was Rovers’ sole permanent signing of the window, but the 22-year-old has since returned to the League One club on loan.
Mowbray confirmed the arrival of Taylor Harwood-Bellis from Manchester City ruled out any further business, with Rovers now at the limit of loan players allowed in a matchday squad. But the manager reflected on a positive window, with Jarrad Branthwaite the other addition, on loan from Everton, as Rovers strengthened in central defence where injury had decimated their options.
Pickering was the stand-out piece of business, however, signing a four-and-half-year deal, but Crewe weren't prepared to lose both full backs in the window, after Perry Ng signed for Cardiff City, leading to a compromise being reached.
“It wasn’t an easy negotiation but it got done, and it was probably the only way it was going to get done,” Mowbray told the Lancashire Telegraph.
Rovers already have Barry Douglas on loan from Leeds United for the rest of the season, with Mowbray pleased with the impact of the Scot who’s form has played a key role in the upturn in clean sheets in their four game unbeaten run.
Amari’i Bell has been hampered by injury of late, but will return to the squad at QPR, offering competition in that position for the rest of the season.
Though with Bell out of contract in the summer, and Douglas only on loan, Mowbray knew it was a position that needed to be strengthening.
And he feels Pickering, captain of The Alex, is an astute acquisition.
He added: “We like the player and we’ve got two left backs, experienced footballers, so it wasn’t a problem for us to let him go and play for Crewe and see how the rest of their season goes.
“We’ve got a good footballer and another lead, a very young age but very much a leader and we’re looking forward to welcoming him in the summer.”
Rovers lost Daniel Ayala, Derrick Williams and Scott Wharton to injury in December, twice forcing them to play midfielder Bradley Johnson alongside Darragh Lenihan.
Lenihan has been a mainstay of the side this season, with the arrival of Branthwaite coinciding with a run of three clean sheets in four games, while Harwood-Bellis, aged 19, is another highly-regarded prospect.
“I think we’ve improved the group, you think that Jarrad came in at a time when we were desperately short of centre halves, three who’d all played a part were unavailable to us,” Mowbray said of the winter window.
“Jarrad has come in and done exceptionally well for a young boy.
“Taylor has come in, another young boy, and he knows the situation. I’ve had long chats with him, and the people at his football club, about opportunity and when it comes he has to grab it. But defensively we’ve just had three clean sheets out of four and he’ll have to be patient.
“He’ll be around the squad, train with us every day and hopefully will get some game-time.”
Share