Derry City set to appoint new Head of Recruitment to implement new transfer strategy

​Tiernan Lynch revealed the club is 'very close' to bringing in a new full-time transfer specialist who will implement a long term and 'very clear recruitment strategy' which will help Derry City fulfil its 'unbelievable potential'.

The Brandywell club's new talent spotter will also take 'the burden off' the City manager and is expected to be in place in the new role just in time to make a splash in the summer transfer window which opens on July 1st next - Lynch's second window since his appointment last November!

Derry chairman Mr Philip O'Doherty revealed on this week's Talking Derry City podcast that Lynch's player budget is the biggest in the club's history and he was keen to find the Belfast man the additional support required to source top quality players.

"I just think we need to be looking at a slightly different player too," said the chairman who gave his full backing to the City boss. "We're talking about getting him [Lynch] additional help to go and source these players.

"At the minute the manager has the biggest budget that we ever had in the history of this club. I need to do that. I'm very happy with Tiernan and his progress."

Lynch admitted his new recruitment chief will be in place imminently, a vital position he reckons will help identify and attract the 'very best players' to Foyleside as the new man works alongside the City boss and his backroom team to target and secure transfers.

"It's something we're well down the line with," he revealed. "I've said this from the beginning. Derry City is a massive football club with unbelievable potential. I think we need to fulfil that potential.

"That's something Philip, Sean [Barrett] and the Board have to take great credit in that they're going to back us and support us in this and hopefully bring in someone on a full-time basis whose job is going to be constantly trying to find players who will make Derry City better.

"Recruitment at any football club is key. Our job is to try and make sure we attract the very best players here.”

"You can't work window to window. We have a very clear recruitment strategy of what we want to do and how we want to do it. What our squad needs to look like, the age of our squad and all that goes with that. Now we now need to start implementing that." The former Larne boss who had Gerry Flynn in a similar recruitment and pathways role at Inver Park, made NINE new signings during the close season window.

There promises to be several comings and goings during the summer months and Lynch reckons his new recruitment chief will be key in doing their homework and ensuring the club offers contracts to only players with the right character.

"We're very close to bringing in somebody full time to head up recruitment which will also take that burden off my shoulders," confirmed Lynch. "The recruitment should be starting two and three windows out rather than two or three months before the window opens.

"There's clubs right across the world that spend hundreds of millions of pounds in transfers and get them wrong. So it doesn't mean we're going to get them right but hopefully we're going to get more right than what we're getting wrong.

"We need to start digging a little bit deeper into the players we're bringing here because it's a very unique club in very unique circumstances. I think you have to be a certain type of character to be successful at this football club and we need to work harder at getting the characters as well as the players.

"There's plenty of really good players that could come to Derry City but when the going gets tough when you go to the Dublin teams and things aren't going your way I think we need to get better at rolling our sleeves up." It's understood Lynch is closing in on at least two new signings while there's also expected to be several departures through the gates of the Lone Moor Road club in the coming weeks.

Lynch refused speak about individuals but did confirm one of his staff men, goalkeeping coach Michael Dougherty could be on his way out of the club as talks with Coleraine continue.

"As far as players coming in or players going out I can't confirm anything. I can tell you we are very close and it would be wrong of me to sit and tell you names until they are 100 per cent over the line.

"There's been a huge amount of work going on behind the scenes. With regards to the backroom team. I hope I'm not speaking out of school but Michael Dougherty is obviously in talks with Coleraine. Whether that happens or not or whether that's confirmed I don't know."