Midfield was a power base from which Joey Barton helped construct Bristol Rovers' promotion to League One. On the defensive, he had the trusted Paul Coutts and Glenn Whelan to rely on. Looking forwards, Sam Finley and Antony Evans were star contributors.
But as things stand, Coutts and Finley are the only ones certain to be back in blue and white when the new season begins at the end of July. Thus, the Gas have two excellent pieces to build around, but also plenty of recruitment – or negotiation in Evans' case – to do over the coming months.
The free agent market is sure to be an area of focus for the Gas as they prepare to step up to the third tier, and here are some of the midfield options Barton could consider trying to add to his squad...
