Walsall move to keep McDonald
Walsall manager Chris Hutchings has revealed he is in discussions with Manchester City to extend defender Clayton McDonald's loan.
The player's initial one-month loan spell expires after tomorrow's home clash with Carlisle and the Saddlers boss has been in touch with billionaires City in the hope of keeping him.
He said: "We've spoken to Manchester City, we're trying to extend it and that's on-going at this moment in time. Certainly one month, possibly another one, is part of our discussion.
"I've spoken to the lad and he wants to stay. It's just a matter of getting everything sorted."
Walsall have Manny Smith available for the visit of the Cumbrians, after the defender recovered from a knee injury.
But with Stephen Roberts still sidelined with his back injury, Hutchings wants to shore up his defence with the 20-year-old.
The manager knows the Saddlers are paupers in comparison with the bigger clubs in League One and McDonald's extension would help them make the most of the cash they have.
Hutchings said: "Everyone wants promotion, some are lucky enough to have bigger budgets. It's something we'd like, but we don't have and we have to make the best of what we've got.
"If that's what we've got we go with it and we work extremely hard to compete with the big boys.
"Huddersfield have a very big budget and ours is nowhere near theirs, but we can compete and we can beat them. We've got to make sure our lads perform on a consistent basis."
With the Saddlers 11th in the table, just three points away from the play-off spots, Hutchings is aiming to continue the progress they have made this season.
He said: "It's a long season. We want success like anyone. We finished 12th last season and we've got to make sure we finish higher than that and that would be progression.
"Off the field we're trying to sign players on two-year contracts instead of one year. We're trying to build something."
