Grimsby Town: Picking up ex-Luton Town player could spell the end for 23-year-old - View | OneFootball

The 2023/24 EFL season is reaching a conclusion with the three divisional play-off finals almost upon us. However, the attention of many has already turned to preparations for next season; not least in terms of player recruitment and squad strengthening, with social media and fans' forums already awash with rumours and speculation about who might be joining their club in the near future.

Grimsby Town are no different in this regard. While the Mariners only completed their League Two campaign a few weeks ago, there has been no shortage of names already linked with a summer move to Blundell Park. You learn to take these rumours with a pinch of salt on the whole. Most turn out to be either false or premature but one that could make a lot of sense is Maidenhead United's former Luton Town youth graduate Casey Pettit.

His name has been doing the rounds on social media, with Pettit's father and agent liking a post linking him with a move to Grimsby.

21-year-old midfielder Pettit came through the ranks at the Hatters, where he was thought of as an exciting prospect, one who would go on to captain the club's under-21 side. He would move on from Kenilworth Road last summer, however, having been unable to break into what was an upwardly-mobile Luton side, joining National League side Maidenhead United where he'd become a regular for Alan Devonshire's Magpies, making 44 appearances throughout last season - mainly in the role of holding midfield.

Pettit is very much a modern defensive midfielder, one comfortable receiving the ball from the goalkeeper and defenders in tight spaces and instigating attacking movements, and his passing ability is very useful against the opponents' press. His attributes certainly fit the stylistic approach Mariners' boss David Artell favours, and, having opted for pragmatism towards the end of last season to stave off the threat of relegation, may look to return to somewhat ahead of the new campaign.

Pettit and Thompson would make an effective midfield base for Grimsby

The Mariners added the experienced Curtis Thompson to their ranks in January, with the midfielder playing a big part in their League Two survival. The 30-year-old joined from then League One Cheltenham Town and added genuine steel and assurance to what was a struggling Grimsby side. A streetwise campaigner, Thompson is a leader; calm in possession and resolute out of it. The former Notts County and Wycombe Wanderers man is likely to play a key part for Artell's side next season.

Pettit possesses the attributes to compliment Thompson's at the base of the Mariners midfield. The youngster is a mobile, technically and physically sufficient operator. Removing some of the engine room burden from Thompson's shoulders, Pettit would be able to get around the pitch a little more, linking the play, while allowing his teammates to safeguard the defence and pick up second balls.

The blend of youth and experience could prove beneficial for a Grimsby side who will, perhaps, be looking to dominate possession more moving forward, with both happy to take responsibility on the ball in different areas of the pitch. On the face of it, the partnership certainly looks a viable one, should it come to fruition.

Arrival of Pettit could see departure of Hunt

Diminutive deep-lying playmaker Alex Hunt is entering the final year of his Grimsby Town contract, having signed from Sheffield Wednesday for an undisclosed fee in 2022. Prior to that, Hunt had spent the first half of the 2021/22 campaign on loan with Paul Hurst's Mariners, before joining then League Two Oldham Athletic for the latter part of the season.

The Sheffield-born midfielder has shown glimpses of his talents over the subsequent two seasons but found consistency and regular starts hard to come by under both Hurst and Artell. There's no doubt Hunt is a quality passer of the ball, often willing to take risks to find a penetrating through ball others may not see. On the flip side, however, is the 23-year-old's tendency to drift out of games.

Perhaps his small frame is a hindrance in this regard. League Two is a very physically demanding division, and while Hunt is never lacking in effort and application, he can be overpowered by more aggressive, experienced opponents. It has become a regular point of debate with Grimsby fans, how to get the clear talents of Hunt into the side without losing the battle in the middle, which is often key to success or failure from one game to the next.

The 23-year-old spent the end of the 2023/24 season on loan at National League side York City, where he helped the Minstermen to safety. He appears to have impressed there, and perhaps a permanent switch will be sought by City this summer.

The former Owl is approaching 24 and has made just over 100 senior appearances throughout his career to date. He's at the stage where he needs to become a regular, first-team player somewhere. That may come with the Mariners, there's no doubting his abilities, but that opportunity may also come elsewhere, and if Grimsby's interest in Pettit - a similar type of player to Hunt positionally - is genuine, it could easily speed up that decision.