EFL club missed out on deadline day signing after player ‘forgot’ to sign contract

Northampton Town missed out on signing a new striker on deadline day after a player ‘forgot’ to sign their contract.

The League One side had hoped to bring in a centre-forward before the window closed on Monday.

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However, the Cobblers were unable to finalise a deal as they missed out on both their striker targets.

Manager Kevin Nolan has now explained the bizarre reason why he did not add to his attacking options.

The former Premier League midfielder lifted the lid on his deadline day woes after Tuesday’s draw at Barnsley.

Whilst one of Northampton’s targets was blocked from joining by their current club, the other deal came down to the player, who has not been named.

Deadline day blow

According to Nolan, the player in question forgot to sign the necessary paperwork, causing the deal to collapse.

Following his side’s point at Oakwell, he explained: “We are delighted with the two lads we brought in and we were hoping to bring in a couple more on deadline day.

“We were talking to two strikers and we were working right until the last minute to get them done.

“Unfortunately one wasn’t allowed to come out and that was down to the knock-on effect.

“The Championship has to wait for the Premier League and League One has to wait for the Championship.

“Because the club we were speaking to didn’t get what they wanted, the player wasn’t allowed to come to us, which was disappointing.

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“Another one forgot to sign the Docusign we sent to them, would you believe, and we weren’t able to get the extension for it, which was gutting.

“We were incredibly frustrated, as frustrated as everyone else was.”

Northampton were able to complete a double deadline day deal despite the setback in their striker search.

Midfielder Kyle McAdam and defender Ben Hammond both arrived on loan from Nottingham Forest until the end of the season.

Meanwhile, striker Jake Evans had already arrived on loan from Leicester City alongside free agent centre-back Elliott Moore.

However, Nolan had still been in the market for a centre forward after Ethan Wheatley was recalled by Manchester United earlier in the window.

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The England youth international, who scored three times during his loan spell, has subsequently joined promotion-chasing Bradford City.

Northampton currently sit 23rd in League One but are just one point from safety.

Nolan’s side return to action at home to Stevenage on Saturday as they aim to avoid relegation.

The club, who appointed Nolan in December 2024, have been in the third tier since promotion from League Two three years ago.