As the 2025/26 season slowly starts to wind down, Doncaster Rovers will be hoping that their 6-point gap from the relegation zone should be enough to survive, allowing them to turn their focus towards a summer rebuild that has already started to develop, particularly in the goalkeeping department.
Conceding the third most goals in the division this season, with 63, Doncaster will be looking to find a permanent addition to their goalkeeping department. A permanent option that, hopefully, will develop a partnership between their youthful defensive pairing of Sean Grehan and Jay McGrath for the future.
Since club servant Ian Lawlor’s exit to League Two’s Crewe Alexandra in the January window, Doncaster have operated with not one, but two, loaned shot stoppers.
Frenchman Thimothée Lo-Tutala returned to the club for his second loan spell over the summer and has found himself as the club’s starter, while Hearts’ out-of-favour Scotsman Zander Clark made his move towards the end of Doncaster’s January window to currently occupy a backup role.
Despite Doncaster’s reliance on temporary covers over the course of the season in Lo-Tutala and Zander Clark, it appears as though McCann’s recruitment strategy has already identified the club’s next steps in the transfer market.
According to the club’s goalkeeping coach and Head of Recruitment, Lee Glover, Doncaster have already prepared themselves a list of targets for that number 1 position, which will sit unoccupied beyond the expiry of Clark and Lo-Tutala’s spells on 1st of July.
Often completing their recruitment business early, Doncaster will be hoping to have their number 1 for next season signed off well before preseason kicks off in July.
While the rumour mill has yet to expand on who these potential targets could be, Glover’s previous comments regarding Doncaster’s development of a new recruitment strategy open the market even further to potential additions.
Supposedly looking to delve into the Irish and Scottish transfer markets over the coming months, as has been seen over recent seasons, survival for Doncaster in this season’s League One campaign could open the floodgates to a plethora of talent.
Acknowledging goalkeeping talents across the Scottish and Irish leagues, this article will look to identify three potential targets that could already be on Glover’s wish list, as he looks to bolster Doncaster’s underwhelming defensive showcase this season.
Aiming to potentially transition from quantity to quality when it comes to their recruitment strategy, Doncaster’s primary recruitment option this summer, across all positions, should be St. Patrick Athletic’s concrete wall, Joseph Anang.
Matching Grant McCann’s relationship with Irish Premier League talent over recent years, Doncaster could see themselves making a third swoop, beyond Jay McGrath and Sean Grehan, to seal a very Irish defensive trio.
Having made his first full appearance for the Black Stars of Ghana last year, the young shot stopper will be optimistic that his performances in Ireland over the last 18 months will be enough to earn himself a trip to this summer’s World Cup. Interestingly, Ghana is set to face England in the group stages.
Rising through the West Ham academy ranks, the 25-year-old has entered his fourth season in the Irish topflight, though his contract is set to expire in November of this year. While Joseph will not be available on a free transfer basis over the summer, Doncaster will surely be able to afford a nominal fee.
Marking his 100th appearance during the Pats’ 3-2 victory over Shelbourne recently, Anang has experienced three stellar seasons in red and white, and at such a young age for a goalkeeper, he has years’ worth of development ready to unlock under the mentorship of the experienced Lee Glover.
With a long-term contract on the table, Anang could become the number one for Doncaster Rovers for years to come, and potentially a real sellable asset down the line.
Last season, the number 94 conceded just 34 goals over 36 appearances and achieved an incredible 18 clean sheets.
Topping the statistical charts, Anang prevented 8.4 goals over his campaign and possessed the highest pass completion percentage in his position, 71%, which could be crucial to McCann’s building out from the back.
But most impressive of all, was his save percentage over so many fixtures: with 75%. Of 129 shots faced, Anang saved 97.
Anang must surely be Doncaster’s primary option for that Lo-Tutala-shaped hole in 2 months.
After a challenging medical anomaly to kickstart his Kilmarnock career and his return to the Scottish Premiership, missing the first four months of a 12-month deal, Stryjek has finally started to pull some appearances together, and with this, a display of real goalkeeping quality.
Following previous experience in League One with Wycombe Wanderers, Stryjek has showcased his ability to perform to high standards in not only the Scottish game but also within the English game.
After a brief spell in his home nation of Poland with Jagiellonia Bialystock, making 5 appearances (one of which in the Europa League), Stryjek has returned to his best, with an excellent cameo in the Scottish first division.
Over just 11 appearances, fighting for minutes with teammate Kelle Roos, Stryjek has managed to save a penalty and maintain three clean sheets, conceding just 7 goals in the process for an impressive 7.53 rating on FotMob.
At 29 years of age, Stryjek possesses a prime combination of experience and space for development. As a goalkeeper, the Polish man is still rather young as a goalkeeper and has yet to enter his prime years.
As a free agent, a 2-year contract could be more than enough for Doncaster Rovers to cement themselves a permanent goalkeeping option to develop a partnership with their centre-half pairings.
Reflecting on the Sunderland academy graduate’s best season – 2022/23 with Wycombe Wanderers – we can see the true excellence that Stryjek possesses at the top of his game.
Over 43 appearances, the ‘keeper conceded just 40 goals, keeping 17 clean sheets, as the ‘Chairboy’s recorded a top-half finish.
With 8.51 goals prevented and a save percentage of an incredible 78%, Maksymilian must be an ideal option for McCann’s tricky Reds if they’re really aiming for a top-half or even playoff push next season.
Now, while Doncaster’s head of recruitment has stated the club’s intentions of exploring the Scottish and Irish markets, the range of quality on show in England’s upcoming free agent market cannot be overlooked.
Relegated to the English fourth tier following another disappointing campaign, Rotherham United looks set to lose several key members of its first-team squad, including goalkeeper Cameron Dawson.
Having joined the club on a free transfer from South Yorkshire neighbours Sheffield Wednesday two seasons ago, another local move to Doncaster Rovers would make perfect sense, requiring no domestic relocation.
Guaranteed to be Doncaster’s starter throughout the 2026/27 season, a move to the League Two champions, a club clearly on the up, could be an excellent piece of business for Grant McCann’s squad.
At 30 years of age, Dawson possesses a real footballing pedigree across the English pyramid, spending the grand majority of his playing career in the Championship with academy club Wednesday.
His experience could offer real guidance towards Doncaster’s youthful centre halves, and contribute heavily to their development with a capable and experienced head behind them.
Despite the failures of Rotherham United over recent seasons, Dawson has continued to perform at a consistently high level.
While FotMob indicates very little about the full picture, Dawson has maintained a 7.04 rating across his campaign this season, regardless of Rotherham’s downward spiral, achieving a higher 7.14 rating over his 21 appearances last season, on loan from Sheffield Wednesday.
While his stats this season are somewhat inconsistent, the acquisition of Dawson on a permanent deal would certainly add pedigree to Doncaster’s defensive setup. Take his performance this season against Barnsley FC, in Rotherham’s 1-0 victory, and you can see it for yourself.
Dawson played a crucial role in Sheffield Wednesday’s dramatic promotion to the Championship in 2022/23, and even more so during Exeter City’s promotion to League One the season before that.
With two promotions under his belt, Dawson could be the next piece of Doncaster Rovers’ puzzle, as manager Grant McCann looks to propel Doncaster Rovers up the league standings next season, beyond their survival efforts.
And honestly, what is better than a goalkeeper donning a baseball cap?
