SWINDON Town goalkeeper Lewis Ward is close to departing the County Ground, with two clubs leading the race for his signature.

League One Cambridge United and League Two Sutton United are doing battle over bringing the stopper in on deadline day.

It is thought that Cambridge United is Ward' preferred destination, however, the U's are likely to need to offload current gloveman Dimitar Mitov before they are able to sign a replacement.

Given time is of the essence at this stage, Adver Sport understands Ward is on the verge of signing for Town's League Two rivals Sutton as they are able to bring Ward in without further delay.

The 25-year-old - who arrived at the County Ground in July 2021 - sees his current Town contract run out next summer, therefore Swindon would command a fee for the stopper.

It would be the first time in Ward's career that a fee has been paid for his services, with the previous seven senior moves being either on loan or as a free transfer.

Should Ward complete a move away in the coming hours, Swindon would be left with just one senior goalkeeper in Middlesbrough loanee Sol Brynn.

Brynn had come in for some early criticism from some sections of Town's fanbase, but quickly proved himself to be a capable number one in terms of shot-stopping and playing the ball with his feet.

After the decision was made to start Brynn in league games, it is thought that Ward was unhappy about spending another season as a back-up and therefore asked to leave the County Ground in search of first-team football.