Mansfield Town boss Nigel Clough will target a return for Nottingham Forest youngster Will Swan this summer.
The 22-year-old spent the season on loan with the Stags, along with Reds teammate Riley Harbottle. Both impressed during the campaign as Clough’s side narrowly missed out on the League Two play-offs.
Swan finished as Mansfield’s top scorer with his 10 goals in 34 appearances. Clough has previously admitted the striker was sorely missed while absent due to injury, and he is keen to get him back.
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“Up front, we would love Will Swan to return in some capacity,” Clough told the Mansfield Chad as he discussed the club’s transfer plans for the upcoming window.
Harbottle also chipped in with goals during his time at One Call Stadium, netting six in 37 appearances. Clough says decisions over potential returns for Mansfield’s loanees - with goalkeeper Christy Pym having also returned to his parent club, Peterborough United - will have to wait until the final ball has been kicked.
“We are hopeful but we have to wait until their respective clubs finish their seasons and find out which league they are going to be in as that may well affect their decisions and financially it may have an impact as well,” he said of the loan players. “So until Peterborough are done in the play-offs one or way or another and Forest secure their status then there is not an awful lot we can do.
“I don't think it does any harm to get two or three players in on loan. You can see the benefit we've had in the last couple of seasons. It's a good way of getting youngsters from Premier League clubs into the building.
“You can see how well Will Swan and Riley Harbottle have done and you can use it to get an experienced goalkeeper like Christy Pym in as well. It is absolutely vital for clubs in League Two and League One to be able to use the loan market.”
Forest face a decisive final two games in their bid to secure Premier League survival. After hosting Arsenal at the City Ground on Saturday, they travel to Crystal Palace on the last day of the season. Where the Reds' transfer business and contract decisions are concerned, much of what happens in the summer will depend on which division they find themselves in.
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