Mark Halstead close to Shrewsbury Town deal
Goalkeeper Mark Halstead is edging closer to agreeing a new deal at Shrewsbury Town and could sign on the dotted line this week.
The Shropshire Star understands the 25-year-old goalkeeper has held talks with chief executive Brian Caldwell and manager Micky Mellon.
They are trying to thrash out a deal to extend his two-year stay at the Greenhous Meadow. Caldwell stated recently that the club had failed to make contact with Halstead.
But the former Blackpool reserve did return with the rest of the squad – bar Nathaniel Knight-Percival – for the start of pre-season training on Thursday and Friday.
He was due back at the club today as the squad continues its preparations for the new season.
If he reaches agreement, Halstead will become the third senior goalkeeper to re-sign for Town this summer.
Jayson Leutwiler and youngster Callum Burton committed their futures to the club by penning two-year deals earlier in the close season.
Academy graduate Shaun Rowley is also under contract, leaving Mellon well stocked in the goalkeeping department with the prospect of at least one of them being loaned out.
Assistant manager Mike Jackson revealed the plan recently for 19-year-old Burton, who made his senior debut in the last game of the season at Swindon.
He will definitely play first-team football next season, whether it be with Town or elsewhere on loan.
But either way, the competition won't bother Halstead, who had to wait more than a year for his first-team chance with Town when Leutwiler was injured.
After loan spells in non-League with Barrow, Stockport and Kettering in his time waiting in the wings at Bloomfield Road, Halstead emerged as a genuine contender to Leutwiler last season.
He twice displaced the Swiss shot-stopper only to get injured, appearing 19 times in all competitions last term.
Halstead's decision to sign a new deal would leave Knight-Percival and James Wesolowski as the only players out of the six who were offered fresh terms not to have re-signed.
Sources also say striker Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro is set to sign with a League Two club in the south.
The popular 31-year-old French forward was one of eight players released by Town at the end of the season.
Zak Whitbread, Jermaine Grandison, Mickey Demetriou, Jordan Clark, Scott Vernon, Elliot Grandin and James Caton have all departed.
