A quick look at Bristol Rovers' recent record of free agent signings outside of the transfer window highlights the nature of shopping in that market.
Glenn Whelan was signed a year ago this month and he has offered great value for the Gas as a player in their League Two promotion-winning season and as a player-coach this term. But he is an outlier; more often than not out-of-window moves for free agents are a punt that rarely pays big dividends.
After all, if you haven't got a club by September 1, there usually is a good reason for it. Typically, it is injuries, but there can be other baggage involved, too. For February 2022 signing Jon Nolan, it was the former, with a year spent on the sidelines at Ipswich Town proving too much to come back from in a relatively short run to the end of the season, and there are several other similar examples.
