Humphrey and Coke were paraded as Motherwell's new signings

Northampton Town have challenged Motherwell's right to parade midfielder Giles Coke as their new signing.

Coke was at Fir Park on Tuesday as the Scottish Premier League club announced that he had signed a one-year contract with an option of a further year.

But the English League One outfit say the 23-year-old had agreed a new contract with them in June.

Northampton said: "We have sought advice from professional bodies to determine whether compensation is due."

Coke was out of contract at the end of the season and was offered terms to stay at Sixfields.

Although the midfielder was out of the country when the deadline for accepting the terms expired, Northampton claim that those terms were accepted on his behalf by his agent via email.

Coke has been training with Stuart Gray's side for the last fortnight - and has featured in their pre-season friendlies against Brackley, Histon and Corby - but has now signed a contract with Motherwell.

We're looking at least four new permanent signings and four new loan deals before the new season kicks off in August Motherwell manager Jim Gannon

"Giles Coke has now travelled to Motherwell and has signed a contract, which the club is disappointed to learn," said the Northampton statement.

"Northampton Town do not accept this course of events.

"The club are very disappointed at how things have transpired, having acted in all good faith to support the player and offer terms that were deemed acceptable by the player and confirmed by the agent, whom the player has a binding representation agreement with.

"We are unable to comment further until the legal process has been completed."

Former Stockport County manager Jim Gannon took charge at Fir Park promising to return to the English leagues.

And Coke follows former Shrewsbury Town winger Chris Humphrey and ex-Tranmere Rovers midfielder Steve Jennings in being recruited for the forthcoming Scottish Premier League campaign.

Gannon told Motherwell's website: "He's an excellent athlete, has good stature, good athleticism, with the ability to get round the pitch and he's equally adept with both feet.

"I see him being able to play any of our midfield roles, but he particularly likes the attacking side of the game.

"I've tracked him for quite a while back to his Mansfield days, when a lot of big clubs were following him.

"He did well at Northampton even although the team struggled a little bit and, with them going down, he's taken the opportunity to come and play in the SPL.

"I also think he's yet to reach anything like his full potential."

Motherwell's squad was decimated by players leaving under freedom of contract and the sales of David Clarkson and Paul Quinn.

"We're still working away at getting more faces in - this won't be the last by any matter of means," said Gannon.

"We're looking at least four new permanent signings and four new loan deals before the new season kicks off in August."

Meanwhile, Humphreys was also paraded at Fir Park and the 21-year-old said Gannon's arrival at Fir Park was key to his move.

"To be totally honest, if it wasn't for Jim then the decision to move here would have been much harder," he said.

"Certainly, it would have taken me longer to think about. As soon as I knew he wanted to bring me here, I didn't even take me a second to make my mind up.

"I turned him down when he tried to take me to Stockport. That one passed me by and I wasn't going to let that happen twice."

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