Edmundson in, Byrne out: The dream start to Stockport County’s summer transfer window | OneFootball

With the League Two season now concluded and the celebrations for fourth-tier champions Stockport County winding down, attention at Edgeley Park will begin to shift towards the summer transfer window.

The released and retained list put out by the Hatters carried some shock departures, most notably Paddy Madden and Ryan Croasdale and, coupled with returning loan players, means that there are areas to address for Dave Challinor and his colleagues in the window.

There have been no headline leavers in the backline, but with Challinor usually opting for a back three and only having two recognised centre-backs that made over 30 league appearances last season, there is probably space for another option in central defence.

Neill Byrne is another out-and-out defender at the club, who put in solid performances when called upon last season but struggled for game time on the whole. A switch may be the best course for both parties and a solid upgrade in this department would be a significant signal of intent from the Hatters.

IN: George Edmundson

George Edmundson has been one of the victims of Ipswich Town's rapid rise to the Premier League, having played 32 games in the 2021/22 season and then 18 games in the following League One campaign, which saw the Tractor Boys promoted, but was curtailed early through injury for the 26-year-old.

He appeared just 10 times in the Championship as the club earned Premier League status, and he is unlikely to find more minutes in the top tier, so a move away would appear sensible if Edmundson has ambitions of more playing time and offers would surely be listened to by the hierarchy above manager Kieran McKenna.

Edmundson has 20 Championship and 70 League One appearances to his name, along with brief experience in the Scottish Premiership and Europa League, so has real pedigree at the Hatters' new level. He would ideally be pitched at the top of League One or lower-end Championship, but County have a track record of recruiting talent beyond their current station and, aged just 26, the defender has years in the tank to grow with the club.

It would be an ambitious capture for County, but looking at where the club was when they recruited the likes of Nick Powell, Paddy Madden and Antoni Sarcevic, it would not be the most outlandish move from the club in recent years.

The centre-back's stats from his most recent complete season in 2021/22 show that he is an accomplished defender who is comfortable in possession, Challinor's favoured style, but he is a more natural fit for the backline than the likes of full-backs Ibou Touray and Kyle Knoyle, both of whom the manager has tried to convert into a third centre-back at various points this season for their technical ability.

Moreover, Edmundson is Manchester-born and spent much of his early career at nearby Oldham Athletic, so a move to Stockport would be something of a homecoming.

His last estimated weekly wage, according to Capology, was £8,846, so by no means cheap, but also not miles away from the ballpark where County could begin realistic negotiations.

It would be a significant capture for County, but would add a real element of quality to a defensive unit light on numbers heading into what promises to be a tough season.

OUT: Neill Byrne

The departure of current County defender Neill Byrne would free up some of the wage bill to recruit Edmundson, and with a contract running until 2025, Byrne would likely also command a fee.

On announcing the signing of his current deal, the Hatters' director of football, Simon Wilson, said that the defender had "turned down a number of other offers" to stay at the club, and interest would likely be just as high this time around.

The former Nottingham Forest player appeared 16 times for the League Two winners this season, 10 of which from the first whistle, and didn't look out of place at that level.

Clubs looking for a solid, no-nonsense defender around that level would not go far wrong with Byrne, but he has not been heavily relied upon by Challinor due to the manager's preference for having defenders willing to have the ball at their feet for long periods, start attacks and display comfort on the ball while being pressed. That factor has likely been key in Challinor's thinking when converting a full-back as the third defender rather than picking Byrne to partner Horsfall and Pye.

Byrne's struggle for consistent minutes in this County side is unlikely to improve with the club stepping up a level and, aged 31, he has more to offer a club in the latter stage of his prime years than simply being a back-up option.

Edmundson is more aligned with the type of defensive option Challinor will be looking for in League One. A deal for Byrne this summer could work well for all parties involved and create breathing space for an Edmundson-type capture, which would be a significant signal of intent from the Hatters.