John Askey is hoping to beat a league club to the signing of Thierry Audel.

The much-vaunted French defender left Crewe Alexandra by mutual consent this week, leaving the door open for Askey to make an ambitious swoop.

But, a week after being outbid by divisional rivals Wrexham for the services of Luke Waterfall, Askey is this time hoping to fend off the attentions of a Football League club to bring Audel back to Macc.

Audel played 20 times for Macc in the second half of the 2012/13 season before signing for the League One Railwaymen 18 months ago.

However, he featured a total of just five times for Crewe and had two loan stints at Lincoln.

 

“We’re still waiting to see if he’ll sign,” Askey (above) told the Express. “There is a Football League club showing a lot of interest so we’ll see what he decides, but it would be an ideal move for him and for us.

“It’s better for us to be trying to sign him rather than taking him on loan. Anyone decent who’s signed on loan expects to go somewhere and play but it’s a different situation now he’s left Crewe.

“I’ve been speaking to Thierry, he’s shown a lot of interest but we’ll see what happens next.

“I haven’t spoken to him in any detail about money – that could be a real stumbling block!”

 

Askey also revealed he has been assured by his goalkeeper Rhys Taylor that he’s staying for the rest of the season.

“We’ve made a gentlemen’s agreement that he won’t go anywhere. We’ve always had a good relationship, I trust him and so that’s good enough for me,”  added Askey.