MANSFIELD striker Junior Mendes is being linked with Town.

Sources in the Midlands suggest the 27-year-old, who played against Town in last month's Division III play-off final in Cardiff, has had preliminary talks at the McAlpine.

The nomadic Londoner, who started out at Chelsea before making his name up in Scotland, is one of a string of Mansfield players who came out of contract in the wake of the Stags' shoot-out defeat by Town at the Millennium Stadium.

While Town boss Peter Jackson is away on holiday, he has already earmarked up to four potential signings as he plots a campaign in the newly-titled League I (fixtures are announced on Thursday).

Chesterfield midfielder Chris Brandon is a confirmed target.

Sheffield Wednesday centre-back Leigh Bromby has been strongly linked with a move to Town.

And there has also been talk about experienced midfielder Craig Hignett, who has left Leicester, and young Cambridge striker Dan Chillingworth, who scored in the 2-2 McAlpine draw on the opening day of last season.

Mendes was on the mark when Mansfield won 3-1 at the McAlpine on May 1, but couldn't get the better of Paul Rachubka during the big match at the Millennium Stadium.

Having failed to make the first team at Chelsea, where he came through the youth ranks, Mendes got his big chance with Scottish club St Mirren.

He scored 16 goals in 77 outings for the Paisley club between 1996-2000, briefly going on loan to Carlisle.

Dunfermline splashed out £20,000 for his services in 2000, but the move to East End Park didn't work out, and Mendes returned to St Mirren in the summer of 2002, scoring six times in 22 games before Mansfield made their move in January 2003.

Mendes netted a further 14 goals in 65 matches for Mansfield, taking his overall career tally to 37 in 185.

He is one of 10 out of the 16 players on play-off final duty for Mansfield who are now out of contract.

Town have 23 senior players contracted after the release of versatile Paul Scott and striker Iffy Onuora.

Jackson is due to have talks with Paul Rachubka, who played 16 games on loan from Charlton last season, although he already has three contracted goalkeepers in Ian Gray, who is recovering from a broken hand, Phil Senior and Jacob Giles.