Mansfield Town have made free agent Sam Cosgrove a top transfer target this summer, as Nigel Clough is set to sign a new contract with the League One outfit.
The Stags started the season strongly and were flirting with the play-offs early doors. However, a poor second-half of the season saw them slip all the way to 17th in their first season back in the third tier.
Popular boss Clough is reportedly ready to sign a new deal at the OneCall Stadium, and is keen to strengthen his side to improve on a dismal second part of last season’s League One adventure.
Alan Nixon reported via his Patreon page that Mansfield are keen to snap up former Barnsley striker Cosgrove this summer.
The former League One winner with Plymouth Argyle has had a torrid time at Oakwell, and featured seven times for Stockport County in the second half of the season, scoring no goals. He was released earlier in the month, after his Tykes contract expired.
Mansfield Town keen to snap up Barnsley’s Sam Cosgrove
Mansfield’s strike force wasn’t the issue that let them down last season, as both Will Evans and Lee Gregory scored 24 goals between them in the league.
However, loanees Ben Waine and Jordan Rhodes have returned to their parent clubs, and Gregory suffered a season-ending injury in February, coupled with the fact that he’s yet to sign a new contract with the Stags, Clough is reportedly keen to bring in another striker.
This has reportedly seen the son of legendary manager Brian turn his attention to the now free agent Cosgrove. The striker spent two years at Barnsley, where he scored just four league goals in over 50 appearances.
The 28-year-old finds himself a free agent having been released by Conor Hourihane’s side earlier in the month, and Mansfield are reportedly keen to make Nottinghamshire his next home, as Clough is set to extend his stay as Stags boss.
Cosgrove has had a rather slow few years following a League One winning campaign with Plymouth in 2022-23, where he was a key player in Steven Schumacher’s side. The main memory of his time at Barnsley was the bizarre goal he scored against Wycombe Wanderers in November 2023.
Now, the former Aberdeen star will be looking for a new home where he can get his career back on track, and Nixon has said that Clough is keen to bring the powerful attacker to Mansfield.
Mansfield can offer Cosgrove a fresh start
As mentioned, ever since his league-winning loan at Plymouth, Cosgrove has struggled to replicate the form he showed in Devon elsewhere. This ultimately led to his release from Barnsley in the summer.
The striker doesn’t have the most prolific record in front of goal in English football, but is often very effective in the build-up, if teams utilise his strengths correctly.
| Sam Cosgrove v Lee Gregory 2024/25 stats (Fotmob) | |||||||
| Player | Apps | Starts | Goals | Assists | xG | Aerial duels won | Shot accuracy |
| S. Cosgrove | 26 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 1.84 | 59.4% | 27% |
| L. Gregory | 20 | 17 | 10 | 0 | 7.36 | 37.7% | 47% |
With Gregory aging and potentially not being at the club for much longer, Mansfield need a long-term replacement for the veteran striker who is a key component in their system.
Cosgrove can be exactly this, as he is a very similar type of player to the 36-year-old. As seen with Plymouth, the former Aberdeen man can be a force to be reckoned with if used correctly, which he likely would be in Clough’s team.
The 28-year-old should be at the peak of his career, but he needs a fresh start to get back on track. The Stags can offer him that in a team that suits his playing style perfectly.
