Walsall continued to try and craft a team capable of firing them out of League Two last week by adding Danny Johnson to their ranks in a deal from Mansfield Town.

The side played some solid football a times during the last campaign but ended the year in 16th and had to settle for a finish in the lower-half of the fourth tier table.

Now, with boss Michael Flynn at the helm, they will want to try and look up and push for a promotion out of the division. Adding Johnson to the ranks on a six-month loan deal could help too, with the forward managing a 17 goal campaign for Leyton Orient in the fourth tier during the 2020/21 season.

 

 

After a campaign with Mansfield that resulted in just nine starts and four goals though, he has now been allowed to join Walsall - but the player could have ended up moving on a permanent basis if not for a late u-turn from the Stags.

According to the Express and Star, the deal looked like it would be on a permanent basis but Flynn has revealed that there was a late change and the owner at Mansfield decided against letting the 29-year-old leave on a full-time basis.

Now, Walsall and the player will have to make do with a six-month deal that could see him head back to his parent club in January. Another deal could be reached in the winter window to extend it but for now, Walsall will have to deal with a temporary agreement.

Speaking about the move then, Flynn said: "We tried.

"We had agreed a two-year contract, and Mansfield have been good, but their owner changed their mind.

"You have to respect that. The only thing they were happy to do in the end was a six-month loan." The Verdict Walsall have signed a player that could be very good and could end up firing them towards the top end of the table in Danny Johnson. Yes, the player didn't fare too well after his move to Mansfield last season but that could come down to a lack of action. He managed just the nine starts for the Stags last time around and even with such little time on the field, still produced four goals. That is an average of 0.45 goals or assists per 90, which is only slightly lower than his record with Orient. If Walsall and Michael Flynn can get him on the field often enough, then he could repay them with plenty of goals. He's proven that in this division, if you get him the ball, he can produce the goods and can be one of the highest-scoring strikers in the fourth tier. For the club then, their concern will be getting him both on the field and back to his best - and if they can do that until at least January, then the side could be in a very good position in the second half of the season.