According to Alan Nixon, Swindon Town missed out on signing former Dundee United defender Ryan Edwards.
Swindon Town’s top defensive target has decided to transfer to India rather than join Michael Flynn’s side, as has been rumoured for a few days. The League Two club’s pursuit of the player has been a long-standing rumor, extending back months at the time of writing. However, the team is now considering other options after a last-minute change of heart derailed its plans.
The club was interested in the player, and early discussions took place earlier in the summer, but the player wanted to consider all possibilities, believing he could make a move to the Championship later in the window. Regardless of his decision, Swindon continued their transfer activities, however both parties were unable to secure the required deals. The Robins were lacking in defensive alternatives, while Edwards was without a club when the season began. Discussions were held soon before the window closed, and a deal was thought to be close, with only the personal terms remaining to be finalized. The agreement was getting closer, and there were signs that the player was ready to sign. When the international era arrived,
A medical has been scheduled, with an announcement expected before the game at Walsall. However, only a few hours later, they were notified that the agreement would no longer be proceeding and that he had accepted an offer to relocate to India instead. The relocation to Swindon had taken weeks to complete, with both time and energy expended. However, in the closing moments, the player decided to move elsewhere.
Author’s Opinion
Flynn had been working on this deal for weeks, and it had been expected on multiple occasions that the player would be joining. Preparations were made within the club for his announcement, and it appeared that they had finally secured a player to add experience and defensive solidity to their lineup. Whenever this deal drew close, something came up to put it back or delay it, which is fairly perplexing from a player who has indicated a desire to join. He has not been moved to a team further up the EFL pyramid, as could have been expected, but to a different country and league, raising the question of whether he ever wanted to join at all.
