CRAWLEY Town boss Sean O’Driscoll has stressed there is no need to panic about summer transfer activity after his move for Torquay United winger Eunan O’Kane failed.
The Republic of Ireland under-21 international had been wooed by O’Driscoll as he attempts to shape his League 1 squad, but failed to agree terms with the club last week.
O’Kane announced the news on his Twitter page, and later was quoted as saying the Reds’ offer ‘was not for him.’
Crawley had triggered a release clause in the highly-rated 21-year-old’s contract with a reported £175,000 bid, but he opted to remain at Plainmoor with Martin Ling’s Gulls in League 2.
O’Driscoll, who has recruited Peterborough goalkeeper Paul Jones, Walsall left back Mat Sadsler and Rotherham mideiflder Nicky Adams so far this summer, said: “The club has come a long way, going into league 1 two years after being in the Conference, they have to work within financial constraints.
“I am disappointed that we got this far for it to fall down at the final hurdle.”
O’Driscoll was also thwarted in his attempts to bring Rotherham striker Lewis Grabban to Crawley earlier in the summer, and he has previously stressed the current squad will be given time to impress, while he uses the transfer budget available wisely.
He added: “We have got to be mindful of making sure we are not getting players in for the sake of it.”
Meanwhile, O’Driscoll will welcome his players back to pre-season training, with improved facilities on offer at their Bewbush training ground on Monday, and he can finally assess the squad he inherited almost two months earlier.
“I am looking forward to it, they have shown lots of enthusiasm,” O’Driscoll said. “The players have shown that they are a good bunch.
“We are in a situation where we have got to try and maintain what they have achieved. That will be difficult. They have taken giant steps.”