Exclusive: Bristol Rovers in talks to sign Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Cameron Dawson

Bristol Rovers are in talks to sign goalkeeper Cameron Dawson on a free transfer, with his contract at Sheffield Wednesday set to expire, Bristol Live understands, with the 28-year-old reuniting with his former Exeter City manager Matt Taylor .

Dawson, who has been offered new terms by the Owls, was Taylor’s number one on the road to promotion to League One in 2021/22, playing in 45 of the Grecians’ 46 league games that term. He then returned to his parent club on Wednesday, starting the following campaign in the third tier, initially as second choice to David Stockdale but arriving as a regular as the Owls were promoted to the Championship via the play-offs.

However, last term the goalkeeper spent most of the campaign as back-up, supporting loanees Devis Vasquez and James Beadle, but had a spell as first-choice from October to January, during which he played 18 appearances in the championship.

Of course, signing a goalkeeper like Dawson would raise questions about what it means for Jed Ward ahead of the new season. The Rovers academy product turned 21 last month, making him particularly young by goalkeeper standards, but he signed a four-year contract in March and enjoyed an excellent spell as first choice in the second half of last season.

Ward will return to The Quarters for pre-season with two England Under-20 caps after a productive spell away with the Young Lions, who completed his breakout campaign on a perfect note with 19 appearances for the Gas and 19 caps. in the National League on loan at Wealdstone.

Regardless of what Dawson’s arrival does to the pecking order, adding a more experienced goalkeeper has been an absolute must for Rovers this summer as Taylor inherits a squad with three 20-year-old shot-stoppers, one of whom is not still did. his senior debut.

The saga in Rovers’ goalkeeping department stretches back nearly a year, when Joey Barton made the call to bring in 20-year-old Brentford loanee Matt Cox and make the youngster first choice the face of James Belshaw, who had been number one for the last two. campaigns. The former Gas boss has made it clear he wants a stopper more comfortable with his feet and has given Cox his first opportunity in the men’s game.

This eventually led to Barton’s public sacking of Belshaw after the promotion hero requested a transfer and was subsequently left out of Rovers’ squads until the summer window closed and no move materialized materialized. The 33-year-old then made two appearances in the EFL Trophy before joining Forest Green Rovers on what was dubbed the “longest emergency loan in history”.

It is understood that following Barton’s sacking, then caretaker boss Andy Mangan asked to recall Belshaw from Forest Green but was blocked by his superiors at Rovers, which eventually led to the goalkeeper’s return to former club Harrogate Town, initially on an emergency loan. and then a permanent deal, coinciding with Taylor’s arrival at the club.

Along with Cox, Barton have also signed another 20-year-old goalkeeper in Matt Hall, whose only experience of playing against the men came during non-league loan spells from former club Southampton at AFC Totton, Harrow Borough and Melksham Town, as well as playing for Saints’ under-21s in the EFL Trophy against Exeter City. Hall is yet to play for Rovers almost a year on.

The Sheffield-born goalkeeper started out at Sheffield United before crossing the Steel City to join Wednesday as a youngster in 2012. Loan spells at Plymouth Argyle, Alfreton Town, Wycombe Wanderers and Chesterfield as well as Exeter followed throughout years, but the move, if completed, would end a 12-year association with the Owls, for which the shot-stopper made 129 first-team appearances.

The Gas are also understood to be set to add former Bristol City centre-back Taylor Moore ahead of the new season, signing the 27-year-old on a free transfer following his departure from Valenciennes in France in April . Many more signings are expected during the summer and there will be many changes at the club.