Ben Purrington has agreed to join Bristol Rovers on a pre-contract, with the move expected to be finalised in the next couple of days. The 30-year-old, whose deal at Exeter City is due to expire at the end of June, was wanted by Bristol Rovers despite competition from two other League Two clubs.

Steve Evans spoke with Purrington last week as Bristol Rovers worked to close the deal, and the defender has now chosen the Memorial Stadium over other options. The agreement means Purrington is set to become one of four players to have committed to the club on pre-contracts this summer, alongside Ciaran Kelly, Kofi Balmer and Richie Smallwood.

The timing matters because clubs can already agree pre-contracts with players whose contracts run out at the end of June, while the transfer window does not officially open until Monday, June 15. Bristol Rovers have moved early to strengthen a squad that is still being reshaped, with work also under way to add a number 10 and a winger.

Purrington arrives with a career path that has taken him through Plymouth Argyle, where he came through the academy and made 64 first-team appearances, before joining Rotherham United in 2017. He played 22 times in all competitions over three years at Rotherham, spending time on loan at AFC Wimbledon and Charlton Athletic before moving permanently to Charlton after a successful spell in the second half of the 2018/19 season.

Evans has long admired the left-sided defender and tried to sign him twice during his time at Stevenage, a link that helps explain why Bristol Rovers pushed so hard to get the deal done now. The club’s recruitment plans are not stopping at Purrington, either, with Newport County’s Bobby Kamwa among three wide players still being considered after a shortlist that was once six names long. Bristol Rovers have won the race for a player they clearly wanted, and they have done it before the window has even opened.