Carlton Palmer as Derby & Notts County chase forward

Carlton Palmer believes it would be a real statement of intent if Notts County can pull off the signing of David McGoldrick on a free transfer.

Will David McGoldrick join Notts County?

The former Sheffield United man signed for League One Derby County last season, and whilst it was a difficult campaign for the Rams, as they missed out on the play-offs on the final day, McGoldrick was outstanding.

The 35-year-old scored 22 goals for the East Midlands outfit in the league, and he was undoubtedly one of their star performers.

Therefore, with his deal expiring in the summer, Derby were looking to tie the forward down to a new contract, but that has been complicated by interest from Notts County.

The newly-promoted League Two side are expected to be ambitious in the market, and McGoldrick is a fan of the club, which is also where he started out. So, the appeal of a return to Meadow Lane is obvious, and Palmer told FLW that it would be a huge signing for Notts County.

“David McGoldrick left Sheffield United last year and at the age of 34 joined Derby County, and he proceeded to smash all expectations. He scored 25 goals in 45 appearances in all competitions, which included three hat-tricks and registered seven assists – unbelievable.

“His services for the upcoming season are in hot demand, with Notts County interested. This would be a major coup for Notts County if they could pull this off, but Derby and Paul Warne want him to stay.

“With this probably going to be McGoldrick’s last season, you’d think he’d want to play in a higher league, and Derby are sure to be in the running for automatic promotion next season. But, Notts County is his boyhood club and nostalgia might swing it.”

This would be a huge deal for Notts County

McGoldrick was one of the standout players in League One last season, so it goes without saying that if they could convince him to drop to the fourth tier, it would be a massive signing, so most would agree with Palmer here.

Of course, the major reason for this would be his connection to the club, and it would be a great way for the attacker to end his career, where it all started. From a football perspective though, he would be someone that can make Notts County promotion contenders straight away, which is what they want.

So, it will be interesting to see how this plays out, and you would expect McGoldrick to make a decision quickly as he looks to get things sorted ahead of returning to pre-season.