Chester have circulated the names of five players to free up funds for new signings. Phil Bolland, Sean Hessey, Ashley Westwood, Kevin Sandwith, and Dean Bennett have all been told their futures lie elsewhere. Bolland has trained with Wrexham, while Hessey, Westwood, and Bennett have all been out on loan in the first half of the season. Sandwith has featured for the first team only once in two months.
Stockport's signing of Liverpool defender James Smith has now been declared a free transfer. The Hatters announced a loan deal yesterday but Smith, 22, has now secured his release from Anfield and agreed a deal until the end of the season. Grimsby have agreed to sign on-loan striker Martin Butler on a permanent basis in January. The Walsall forward has scored once in eight games for the Mariners since an October move.
Dagenham have loaned teenage full back Tom Bird to Ryman side Wivenhoe Town for the rest of the season. Chester have had a £50,000 offer for Vauxhall Motors striker Paul Taylor rejected. The former Man City trainee has scored 15 times in 22 games in the Conference North this season.