It was a case of so close and yet so far for Mansfield in League Two this season, with the side going all the way to the play-off final only to lose at the final hurdle to Port Vale.

They had a spot in the third tier in their eyesight but were hammered at Wembley and will now look to recruit well over the summer to ensure they do not drop off and instead can go again in the next campaign.

One early target that appears to have arose for the side, as reported by Alan Nixon via his Patreon, is John Brayford. The defender currently plays for Burton in League One and Mansfield are believed to be keen to try and do business for the player.

The Stags do not have an unlimited budget, so the good news in regards to a move for the 34-year-old is that he could be available for absolutely nothing. That's because he has yet to pen a new deal with his current side - and if he opts not to, then he will enter the free agency market.

That would allow the Stags to swoop in and offer him terms of their own - and the player could snap that deal up.

Brayford certainly has the experience and the know-how to get things done in League One, so a move to a League Two outfit could get even more out of the player. In fact, his experience could be invaluable to Mansfield going forward, with the defender having played in almost 250 League One fixtures. Throw in a further 196 in the Championship and the 34-year-old has plenty of knowledge he can use to help get Mansfield up.

However, he's become a Burton mainstay and featured 33 times for the Brewers again in the last campaign, with six goals along the way. They won't be keen to let him go - but after spending nine seasons of his career with the club, he may decide to try out a new challenge.

The Verdict

John Brayford might be well into his thirties now but his performances for Burton in the last campaign show that he still has plenty in the tank.

The defender bagged six goals despite playing in the Brewers' backline and was a regular in the team despite his age. He has shown that he still has plenty to offer a team in the third tier, so if he did make the drop down to League Two, then he could have even more to provide.

Mansfield will be desperate to add someone like Brayford to their ranks though, as he represents someone who has been there and done that in the Football League. He's even won the League One title too - and his experience of playing in the second tier could be invaluable to a team like Mansfield who are much lower down the pyramid.

They won't want to miss out on a promotion again and having a leader like the 34-year-old in their ranks to help them along the way would certainly go a long way towards ensuring they go one better next time out.