Notts County are close to securing new deals for their two standout forwards Jon Stead and Shola Ameobi.
The Nottingham Post understands that the pair could confirm their respective futures at the magpies this week. This will certainly come as a relief for many county fans who were afraid they might lose top scorer, Jon Stead, to America.
Stead was originally offered the chance to make a move to the US in January but manager Kevin Nolan refused him permission. Afterwards it became clear why as Nolan placed the former Bradford man at the heart of his plans for the remainder of the season. Despite this, the American distraction initially distracted Stead who admitted he was “a little disappointed” with how his form temporarily dropped. However, an impressive February saw the front man get back on track and since then he has delivered strong performances for the new manager. Should a deal be reached, Nolan will hope that Stead can build upon last seasons positive campaign and regularly feature on the score sheet in the upcoming season.
Along with Stead, former Newcastle United striker Shola Ameobi is also on the verge of securing a future at the magpies. The Nigerian has made a positive impact during his short spell at the club and has been very well received by Notts fans. The forward, who acquired a reputation for regularly scoring in the Tyne-Wear derby, has netted four times in seventeen appearances for County after a long spell out of the game.
Given the time Ameobi spent away from football, its perhaps understandable that he was unable to find the net more regularly for the the magpies. However, with a new contract in the pipeline, fans will hope that next year the Nigerian will showcase his former premier league quality and become more prolific in front of goal.
