Torquay United manager Martin Ling's delight as Billy Bodin deal is agreed
Only the formalities will remain to be done when Billy Bodin reports to Plainmoor today to complete a £70,000 transfer from Swindon Town to Torquay United.
The two clubs have settled on the fee, and United manager Martin Ling said: “Personal terms are all but agreed –– it’s 95 per cent done. It has been an ongoing saga, but Billy has always been my number one target.”
-
Torquay United's Billy Bodin. Picture by Torbay News Agency
Ex-Torquay loan signing Bodin, 20, is due to join goalkeeper Michael Poke and former Arsenal defender Thomas Cruise for medical examinations before that pair put pen to paper on their already-agreed contracts.
That will leave Ling chasing only a central defender before he is happy that his squad is ready to go into battle in npower League Two.
Business Cards From Only £10.95 Delivered www.myprint-247.co.uk
View detailsOur heavyweight cards have FREE UV silk coating, FREE next day delivery & VAT included. Choose from 1000's of pre-designed templates or upload your own artwork. Orders dispatched within 24hrs.
Terms: Visit our site for more products: Business Cards, Compliment Slips, Letterheads, Leaflets, Postcards, Posters & much more. All items are free next day delivery. www.myprint-247.co.uk
Contact: 01858 468192
Valid until: Sunday, May 26 2013
Having sounded out a couple of alternatives, Ling was meeting one of his ‘shortlist’ in that department for initial talks yesterday.
The signing of Bodin, who stayed behind when Swindon went to a training camp in Italy last weekend, will end a long quest for Ling. He has wanted to bring the Wales Under-21 international to Plainmoor ever since he took charge there a year ago.
Ling had to be content with a loan deal for just over four months last season, and Swindon boss Paolo di Canio then turned down both another loan and a £40,000 offer from Torquay in January.
Although the new figure is officially undisclosed, it is a measure of Ling’s determination and his faith in Bodin’s ability and potential that he has been prepared to pay only £5,000 less than the club’s record transfer fee. They paid Peterborough United £75,000 for striker Leon Constantine in December 2004.
Comments
by goalfar1
Wednesday, July 04 2012, 11:03PM
“well,
Both Central defenders, Robertson, & Ellis are transferred,
Bobby gone as well, there ain't much left of Buckle's team
now .
Ling came in last season & got lucky, taking charge of a
team that had under-achieved
At present he is re-building the team, with his players,
the ones that he has signed .
He needs to remember that the supporters will be looking
for a higher position than City, & Argyll, & league 1 football.”