Michael Flynn has been forced into bringing in a free agent to bolster his squad outside of the transfer window, so what will he be getting in Williams Kokolo?

Kokolo came through the academy system at AS Monaco before moving to England in 2017 to join Sunderland, where he never made a first-team appearance, and following a loan at Darlington moved to Middlesbrough.

The left-back then spent 18 months at Burton Albion, playing 16 times and scoring once, but his time was cut short after he was accused of three counts of rape, which he was later unanimously acquitted of at trial.

At 23, his first-team footballing experience is rather limited, with just 27 senior appearances across his five clubs to date, so figuring out what he is truly capable of is still rather difficult.

Speaking to club media, the defender said his best attributes were his “pace, crossing, and one-v-one [ability].”

Edward Walker, Burton fan and former host of the D3D4 Podcast, told the Adver that he concurred with Kokolo’s assessment of himself as a player and was excited by the potential impact the Frenchman could have at the County Ground.

He said: “The deal feels a good one for Swindon. I always felt Kokolo was at his best as an attack-minded player with the protection of a back three behind him.

“I see him a lot more as a dynamic wing-back than a defensive full-back and given the freedom to push and control the left channel, with him you’re given a good attacking outlet for switches of play or on the counter.

“There’s a nice little bit of flair to him as well and he relishes the chance to beat his man one-on-one.”

Comparing the full-back statistically with the players he will be competing with to earn a spot in the Town team is a difficult exercise due to the small number of games he has played, but the data that does exist shows him to be a well-rounded player for the position.

It is actually his defensive numbers which look more impressive, although playing for a more defensive Brewers team may impact this, as he is completing more tackles and interceptions, and winning more duels than Tariq Uwakwe and Tyrese Shade have managed this season. He has also been more difficult to dribble past than the Saint Kitts and Nevis international.

As a creative force, his performances for Burton, who again would have had less of the ball, in League One during the 2021/22 season is very similar to what Shade and Uwakwe have mustered so far this term, although he is a long way off Remeao Hutton’s offensive prowess.

Walker said that his shooting ability was a strong part of his game, despite only scoring one goal in Staffordshire, a volley after a half-cleared corner against Cambridge United, this was something he threatened to do more often.

Kokolo’s spell came to an abrupt end at the Pirelli Stadium and the off-field noise surrounding him has likely impacted his ability to find another club since, but on a footballing level, this was a deal Walker thought could bear fruit.

He said: “I would feel comfortable still having him in the Burton team now, so a drop down a league could be of real benefit to him.

“It is all down to how he settles in at his new club and fits into what I consider a very attack-minded set-up under Michael Flynn. There’s certainly sense in the move.

“The early signs were of something decent developing at Burton, but competition and his matters off the pitch were ultimately what held him back.

“It is now down to him proving his worth as a starter ahead of both Uwakwe and Shade in the long term.”