Brown scored 14 goals in 32 games for the Grecians last season, and also got nine assists, as he helped Gary Caldwell’s side survive their first season back in the third tier. He was a thorn in the side of the Gas last season, getting a goal and an assist in their matches last year.

“Jevani is an exciting talent,” said Barton to Rovers’ official club website after his signing was announced.

“He can operate across the midfield and forward areas and will bring another dimension to our team. I am looking forward to welcomig him into our group and seeing him in action for the club.”

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Lewis Gibson gave the impression hadn’t ever properly considered it when the question was put to him; are you aware of how valued you are in football? The former Everton loanee was a pretty ego-less individual so initially brushed it off but he was also a smart lad so after thinking about it, saw the logic.

Because during the pre-match press conference towards the end of last season, with respect to him, we weren’t discussing Lewis Gibson the man, as such, but more Lewis Gibson, the defender. Specifically, the type of defender. Notably, his profile as a left-sided centre-back.

Whether through the benefit of genetics or wise parents drilling it into their children from a young age to use their left foot, being that way inclined on the field is of enormous benefit to both the player and the club who has the benefit of their services.

Unfortunately for Rovers, of course, Gibson no longer plies his trade in north Bristol having completed a permanent transfer to Plymouth Argyle earlier this month, for reasons well beyond his preference of foot, admittedly, but that attribute was still a major selling point in the marketplace.

Having missed out on Gibson, with Joey Barton aware of Championship interest in the 22-year-old throughout the second half of last season, signing a left-sided centre back has now become Rovers’ new No1 transfer priority this summer.

James Wilson and George Friend have brought the necessary experience, leadership and organisational skills in defence, Grant Ward solidifies the centre of midfield as Jordan Rossiter continues to recover from a knee injury, while Luke Thomas and Jevani Brown provide additional attacking width and craft in the final third, alleviating some of that responsibility on Aaron Collins.

As first-team coach Andy Mangan admitted last weekend they are – and that’s both coaching staff and in the boardroom – delighted with how the squad is taking shape, but there are some key pieces still remaining.

Rovers hope to conclude multiple signings before the end of the transfer window, across a number of positions both for depth and to add first-team ready quality, perhaps replacing some already-established names, but chief among them is the desire for “a Gibson”.

While Barton has accepted he may have to tweak his approach slightly for 2023/24, by being a bit more streetwise and direct, building out from the back, or at least having defenders capable of being accurate passers as first receiver will remain a bedrock of any adjustments.

So far in pre-season, Rovers have started with Wilson and James Connolly as their main centre-back pairing. The former has, as you’d expect, looked every inch the seasoned campaigner he was signed to be and has assisted Connolly where others either couldn’t or wouldn’t last season and the hope is that the 34-year-old can help the 21-year-old further his development after a 2022/23 season in which he couldn’t quite adapt fully to the challenge of League One football.

They are, however, both right-footers and while to some it may seem trivial to an extent, in a defensive capacity that can be mitigated against to a point, but the relevance lies when in possession.

Connolly is a capable passer and likes to receive possession, and it’s been notable, using Cardiff and Eastleigh as the best reflections of this, how short Rovers want to go from goal-kicks; inviting the opposition press before trying to play quickly through the lines into their midfield and offensive creators.

Try as they might, and we’ve all done it, your natural instinct is always to lean towards your natural side and any pass from deep into more advanced areas as a right-footed player from a left-sided channel will likely be made inside. That’s fine when trying to find, say, Sam Finley or Ward, but leaves the left channel a little underused.

Of course, it can still happen, but the consistency of the distribution is just that little bit reduced when a safer pass infield, to retain possession, is potentially the more efficient option rather than a more ambitious ball where you’re trying to open your body out and bend it around an opposition player with your weaker foot.

Having a “lefty” in there allows this, and brings Friend – who, by now, you’ve probably been repeatedly saying is a left-sided centre-back, but the indication is the coaching staff mainly see him as a full-back alongside Lewis Gordon – and Scott Sinclair, who’s looked borderline sensational at times over the last couple of weeks.

Writing for ESPN last year, former Monaco sporting director Tor-Kristian Karlsen said: “The preference for wanting a left-sided centre-back on the left is commonly found in the build-up phase or constructive side of the game.

“With central defenders being expected to start the attacks with the first pass and participating in the possessional aspect, the demand for precision is higher (and it’s logically easier to execute with one’s stronger foot), while one can also find better angles for a line-breaking ball into crowded, central areas.”

As first reported by Alan Nixon this week, Will Boyle was considered a desirable option by the Rovers recruitment team but the club moved on from him a while ago when it became clear his preference was to sign for Wrexham.

A left-footed and a tough-as-teak rugged but intelligent centre-back, with his reliability in terms of availability, at League One level you could even make the case he would have been a better fit than Gibson for 2023/24, when considering the forthcoming season in isolation.

But, like Gibson, it’s a second defensive target they’ve been unable to land, primarily due to finance as, foretold by Barton, Wrexham are capable of distorting the market for League One clubs when they want to sign a player.

The search remains on and it’s an addition the Gas would like to make sooner rather than later to maximise the individual’s time on the training pitch with the coaching staff and give him ample opportunities over the rest of the games’ programme to develop chemistry alongside Wilson and Connolly.

Rovers are not alone in such a yearning – as witnessed by the unsuccessful pursuits of Gibson and Boyle to clubs either above them in the pyramid and/or financial food chain – and trying to add such an increasingly valued commodity is a challenge in itself, especially where they are so rare across the EFL.

Of course, greater depth is required in defence – as evidenced by the defence that lined up in the second match against Cardiff – and elsewhere on the field. But when considering the opening game of the season against Portsmouth in a vacuum and as a guide to the Gas’ capabilities, in assessing the probable starting XI at Fratton Park in 22 days time, at this moment in time, you’d have to say it’s one of the few missing pieces of the puzzle.