According to sources who spoke exclusively to Football League World, Bristol Rovers have reached an agreement to sign right-back Macauley Southam-Hales on a free transfer.
Under manager Darrell Clarke’s return, the Gas are rebuilding and hoping to make amends for their relegation back into League Two following three years in the third division.
Jack Sparkes, a left-back for Peterborough United, was signed by Rovers this week, and Clarke’s next move will likely strengthen the opposing side of the pitch.
Bristol Rovers set to seal Macauley Southam-Hales signing
FLW has been told that Southam-Hales is set to become a Bristol Rovers player following his exit from Stockport County.
Lincoln City and Wigan Athletic, two League One teams, both offered contracts to the 29-year-old, according to an exclusive story earlier this week, but it looks like the Gas will prevail in this particular matchup.
Additionally, Southam-Hales, who was born and raised in Cardiff, Wales, will be moving closer to home when he signs.
Joel Senior, who played 19 League One games for Rovers last season after joining from Morecambe in the summer of 2024, will have competition from Southam-Hales at right-back. The more seasoned Jack Hunt kept Senior out of the starting lineup for the majority of the season.
What Macauley Southam-Hales has done at Stockport County to make him a Bristol Rovers target
Southam-Hales has departed Stockport after five successful years at Edgeley Park, where he’s played his part in two promotions from the National League through to League One.
After beginning his career in the Welsh football system with Barry Town United, Southam-Hales was signed by Fleetwood Town. He played regularly for the Hatters during his first two years there, helping them advance from the fifth division of English football in 2022. However, injuries limited him to just nine League Two appearances in 2022–2023.
The Welshman had assisted seven Stockport goals in just 21 league games when he was sidelined for nine months due to a ruptured patella tendon in February 2024. He returned to action last November, scoring three goals in 17 games to help the team qualify for the playoffs, with his final appearance occurring in March 2025.
