Exeter Manager Paul Tisdale has said that he does not foresee any movement from Exeter City in the remaining the January transfer window.
The window closes at 11pm on Monday, February 2. City have money available after selling Matt Grimes to Swansea City for £1.75m at the start of the month, but Tisdale thinks it is unlikely they will be spending any of that cash on new players just yet.
So with that news The Echo has decided to go back in time and look at one of the most shocking deadline rumours Exeter have ever had – Paul Gascoigne. Below we have a look at our original article from August 2002 when we originally announced the news:
EXETER City are in talks to bring England legend Paul Gascoigne to St James's Park, Echo Sport can reveal.
The mercurial midfielder is considering an offer to join the Grecians on a three-month contract after his proposed switch to American side DC United fell through.
City's joint vice-chairman Mike Lewis said the deal on the table would involve Gascoigne receiving a flat fee for his services in addition to a percentage — believed to be around 20 per cent — of all home gates over 4,000 and shirt sales with the name Gascoigne on the back.
The offer was put together in double-quick time by Lewis and joint chairman John Russell as a result of the successful bid to bring Don Goodman to the club.
Goodman, Gascoigne and City boss John Cornforth share an agent in North-East based Ian Elliott, who told Russell and Lewis of the ex-Rangers star's imminent return from America and eagerness to find a club as soon as possible.
Lewis said: "We saw it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so John (Russell) and myself sat down and I prepared a contract which we sent to Gazza's agent.
"We were told he did not want to stagnate, he wanted to find a club quickly, and we were first in with an offer."
Although Gascoigne has been reported as being unwilling to move into the lower divisions, City are hopeful they can secure a deal after Elliott told Lewis he would be backing a move to the South West for the errant star.
Lewis added: "It is all about how many offers he gets.
"He may want to go back up to the North East, I don't know.
"But his agent told us he would be recommending Exeter City to Paul."
