ROBBIE SIMPSON is Town’s third summer recruit – and the signs are that the signing spree isn’t over yet.
Sources from within the Galpharm have chalked Carlisle’s Danny Graham off the wanted list, but boss Lee Clark could yet recruit another striker to provide competition for Simpson and Lee Novak.
Town, of course, still have Keigan Parker, Phil Jevons and Tom Denton on the books, while Stockport’s former Nostell Miners’ Welfare frontman Oli Johnson appears to remain a subject of interest.
Simpson, 24, follows Tranmere midfielder Antony Kay and Southend defender Peter Clarke into the Galpharm, and is the first to have cost a fee, although Town chief executive Nigel Clibbens says reports of it being £500,000 are “well wide of the mark”.
It seems a £300,000 package could be closer, and Clark believes Town are getting good value – even though six-footer Simpson has a relatively modest tally of seven goals from 71 outings (43 of them as a substitute) in his two seasons with Coventry, who signed him from Cambridge United in a £70,000 deal.
“I’m thrilled to be signing Robbie. He is a young, hungry player who wants to get better and that is exactly what I want,” he said.
“People who are looking at his recent scoring record need to realise that he has played 95% of his games out of position.
“Coventry go 4-3-3 and Robbie has been out on the right, but he prefers playing through the middle. That is where he played for Cambridge and he scored a lot of goals for them.
“I saw plenty of Coventry last season and I have always been impressed with Robbie, who will give us a physical presence in attack.”
