Chesterfield chairman Ashley Kirk has defended the club's summer transfer strategy, emphasising value for money and a deliberate shift towards youth. Speaking at a fans' forum at the SMH Group Stadium, Kirk outlined the thinking behind a window that brought in 13 new players.
"We brought in 13 players, average age 23-and-a-half," Kirk said. He noted that most arrivals did not involve transfer fees, estimating only two did. "Most of the players we didn’t pay transfer fees for, I think only two we did, but you have to bear in mind that a player’s contract is about his fee and the wages over the length of their contract." He stressed that all signings were costed within the club's financial constraints and that the board, including his wife Sharon, and manager Paul Cook were fully supportive.
The policy has produced a notably younger group. For the first six league games last season, the squad's average age was 28.1. This campaign, it has dropped to 26.6. The impact of the younger recruits was evident in the recent 5-3 EFL Trophy victory over Manchester City U21s, where the side outscored their academy opponents. In that match, 19-year-old loanee Kiano Dyer from Chelsea was named best player on the park, while fellow loanees Louie Marsh from Sheffield United and Joel Randall from Bolton were also on the scoresheet.
Manager Paul Cook has welcomed the new dynamic. He said the loan signings had changed the team quickly, with Randall and Marsh contributing goals and assists. Cook described Dyer as a very talented young man and said he likes the way the team trains and the growing competition for places. "The squad is exciting and League Two will be tough this year," Cook added, noting the division has become more evenly matched.
For recent form, the team has collected 8 points from their first six league games, placing them 12th in the table. Their immediate focus is a challenging home fixture against York, who currently sit third in the division.
This story first appeared at Derbyshire Times
