2 bargain free transfers Chesterfield could consider ft Tomas Holy | OneFootball

With seven names already through the door, Paul Cook's busy transfer window has once again raised the bar at Chesterfield.

Highlights

Chesterfield have once again enjoyed a successful summer transfer window under Paul Cook, having made seven signings so far, as their manager attempts to challenge for promotion from League Two this season.

With a mixture of youth, Football League experience, and loan deals, an overhaul to the defence has been the highlight of the window so far, with Chey Dunkley, Lewis Gordon, and Devan Tanton all impressing on their debuts in their opening night draw against Swindon Town.

Much like James Berry last season, forward Kane Drummond has put pen to paper in Derbyshire after scoring 19 goals for Northern Premier League outfit Macclesfield last season.

Former Stockport striker Paddy Madden was a stand-out signing for Chesterfield this summer but will miss the opening part of the season through injury.

Midfielder Tim Akinola and fullback Vontae Daley-Campbell have also joined Cook’s newly promoted squad, as Chesterfield look to make their final additions to an already balanced squad in the coming weeks.

Football League World takes a look at two potential free additions the Spireites could make to close out the transfer window.

Tomas Holy

Cook has done his business early as Chesterfield’s squad looks to take shape, with a mix of youthful and experienced depth options all over the pitch, except for in goal.

The Spireites went into their first League Two game in six years with just one senior goalkeeper on the books, last season's backup, Ryan Boot.

Throughout the latter stages of pre-season, former Sheffield United shot-stopper Jamal Blackman was training with the club and featured in a friendly against Scunthorpe, but a deal couldn’t be reached, which leaves the Spireites scrambling to get another player through the door.

Cook has a habit of signing his former players, with Dunkley and Akinola signed this summer, on top of Will Grigg, Ryan Colclough, Michael Jacobs, Ollie Banks and Armando Dobra all having previous spells under Cook.

With that in mind, one of Cook’s former goalkeepers is available on a free, Tomas Holy.

Holy played under Cook at Ipswich, where he was number one when Cook took over in March 2021.

The 6ft 9ins giant made 57 League One appearances for the Tractor Boys between 2019 and 2021, with the former Czechia U18 international also making 17 appearances for Carlisle in the third tier last campaign before his release.

Holy failed to keep a clean sheet last campaign, conceding 26 goals as the Cumbrians were relegated, but he played every minute of League Two football in Carlisle’s play-off success in 2022/23.

He came to England in 2017 after signing for Gillingham and has made 173 League One appearances, as well as 55 in League Two to date.

The former Sparta Prague man ticks all the boxes, he’s got experience playing in the EFL, has been part of League Two promotion-winning teams, and has experience playing in a Paul Cook system. It would make a lot of sense.

Josh Brooking

While Chesterfield have four centre-backs on the books, only one, Dunkley, started the opening game with an out-of-position Tom Naylor partnering him.

Captain Jamie Grimes picked up an injury in pre-season and is back in full training, expected to partner Dunkley, but his partner for much of last season, Ashley Palmer, is out with a long-term injury.

Tyrone Williams, the only other fully fit centre-back, was an unused sub on Friday night, making fans question where his game time would come from, with midfielder Naylor preferred to Williams.

While a fully fit Chesterfield squad boasts four centre-backs, the Spireites’ defenders aren’t getting any younger.

Grimes is 33, Dunkley 32, Palmer 31, and Williams turns 30 in October, so Chesterfield could do with a young central defender to bolster their ranks.

A former captain of Chelsea’s Premier League 2 team, Josh Brooking has experience training with Chelsea’s first team squad, even making the bench in a Premier League match against Fulham in October 2023 before being released this summer.

The 21-year-old’s only experience in senior professional football has been in the EFL Trophy, where Brooking has been a regular of the Chelsea U21 squad, making nine appearances across three years.

The former England U17 international has made over 80 appearances for Chelsea’s youth teams and is comfortable on the ball, a decent dribbler, and is also comfortable playing right back as well as centre half.

Brooking’s best performance in a Chelsea shirt came in Premier League 2 against Manchester City, providing an assist, and scoring an extraordinary winner, as he marauded on a 50-yard run and finished confidently into the far corner.

It might be ambitious, but while Grimes and Dunkley are the expected starting centre-back partnership, Cook heavily rotated his back four last season, meaning plenty of minutes would be on offer for the youngster.

The current average age of Chesterfield centre-backs is 31, and with a manager who likes to rotate his back four, Chesterfield could gain some much-needed youth at the heart of the defence, and Brooking could gain invaluable experience in the Football League if a move was to materialise.