Jon Whitney to fight for Walsall loanees
Walsall boss Jon Whitney says he will do everything in his power to keep loanees Jason McCarthy, Eoghan O'Connell and George Dobson at the club.
The trio all impressed for the Saddlers last season after joining on a temporary basis from Southampton, Celtic and West Ham respectively.
McCarthy and O'Connell are out of contract with their parent clubs this summer while Dobson has one-year remaining with the Hammers.
And despite admitting wages will be an issue, Whitney would like all three to return this summer.
"I’d like to get George back, I’d like to get Eoghan and I’d like to get Jason if I can," he said.
"I promise the fans I will push to try to get those three.
"But there’s lots of other people pushing for them as well now.
"Most opposition managers talk about Jason after every game so they will be looking at him. They are looking at O’Connell.
"I have to be realistic – but I will fight for them."
With Southampton having stalled on offering McCarthy a new deal, Whitney thinks it will be in the players best interests to join a club permanently.
"If Southampton re-sign Jason, what are they going to do, loan him out?" Whitney continued.
"I think he needs to be part of a club. I think he needs to be signed at a club and I would love him to be a Walsall player.
"Then the fans can have even more affection for him because he’s theirs. I'll speak to West Ham next week about George to try and make that happen and I'll try to get Eoghan as well."
"It will be a push (wage-wise) to get Jason but that is up to me to try to juggle it around.
"This is what I have to do, what I have to juggle with, to try to make it happen.
"That is why it was so important I had a look at my younger players in the final few games.
"I needed to see if they can do it because I might be able to save a bit from that."
