2026-27 Recruitment Plan for Chelmsford City

Player Decisions

Retain

Joe Grimwood, Lyle Taylor, Mandela Egbo, Adam Crowther, Jason Adigun, Jett Murphy, Archie Tamplin, Dom Odusanya

Release

Taylor Clark, Louie Kudiabor, Charlee Adams, Kian Ronan, Tom Lapslie, Ricky Holmes, Paul Appiah, Jesurun Uchegbulam

Lose

Ben Tompkins, Harry Barbrook, Jack Barham

Loan End

Joe Wright, Jamie Odegah, Kane Crichlow, Tristan Abrahams, Noah Phillips, Anthony Papadopoulos, Sonny Davis

Retained Squad

New Signings

Jojo Wollacott (Crawley Town – free)

Last season, The Clarets relied heavily on their use of the loan market providing them with a reliable #1. Going into 2026-27, I think that Mark Cooper will look to try and bring in a permanent option in that part of the pitch. One option that he may well consider signing and who I believe would be a bit of a coup for the National League South is Jojo Wollacott.

Wollacott is the first of many players on this list that have played under Mark Cooper previously in their career, having signed on loan from Bristol City when Cooper was in charge of Forest Green Rovers. He has gone away since then and made a career for himself, and is currently on the books of League Two Crawley Town. While he signed for The Red Devils in the summer, Wollacott has found game time hard to come by and has fallen out of favour with Scott Lindsey, and then not featured under his predecessor Colin Kazim-Richards.

Wollacott dropped down to Crawley Town to sign for a manager in Scott Lindsey that was at Forest Green Rovers with him, and so I wouldn’t be at all surprised if we were to see Wollacott look to reunite with a manager with whom he has a relationship already in the form of Mark Cooper. Personally, I feel that he needs to drop down and play regularly as a #1 to get his confidence back, and joining a National League South side that will harbour ambitions of being in the National League next year certainly fits the bill for what they would be looking for.

I think that Wollacott will be let go at the end of the campaign as Crawley Town look to overhaul their squad, and in the event that he does then I feel Cooper could well be all over the possibility of reuniting with his former goalkeeper.

Dom Bernard (Weston-super-Mare – free)

At the end of Mark Cooper’s tenure, he utilised a 3-at-the-back formation. Without knowing for sure what he will do in the colours of Chelmsford City, at the very least I expect that they will look to try and assemble a squad that is capable of being versatile enough to play different formations. As such, signing adaptable players will be an important part of their recruitment. 

As a player, Bernard is the type of player that you want to build your team around. He is an aggressive, front-footed, committed defender that will look to try and win the ball back at every opportunity, stepping out and engaging, and is a fearless professional that is as tough as they come. Perhaps a little rash at times, but I think that he is the sort of character that you want in your camp. 

He is predominantly a centre-back, but he can also be used as a right-back. As such, he provides options to Cooper in terms of where he plays. Personally, I think that his best position is playing as a right-back because he can step out and engage without leaving too much of a void behind him, and he can use his athleticism and power to carry the ball from deep. He might not be the most technical footballer in the world, but he is confident in progressing the ball. 

He is currently on the books at Weston-super-Mare and he has played the majority of his career in the South West, but I do feel that he may well be interested in moving to Chelmsford City if they got the right offer. He has been promoted with Mark Cooper before and excelled under his management, and so it wouldn’t surprise me to see Bernard choose The Clarets.

Ryan Clampin (Braintree Town – free)

I think that youngster Harry Barbrook may well interest teams higher up the pyramid regarding a summer move, and so that may well present Mark Cooper with his first challenge in being able to replace him. 

Clampin is no stranger to this part of the country, having signed for Braintree Town after leaving Colchester United, and so I am sure that he will be interested in the opportunity to stay in the same part of the country where he is.

In terms of the type of player that Mark Cooper likes to sign, I think that Ryan Clampin is a good stylistic fit. Cooper has already said that he wants to build a side that are strong with the ball and dominate possession, and so signing a full-back that is more attacking minded, technically strong and comfortable in playing out provides the requisite ticks in the boxes. He has been used as a full-back and as a winger before in his career, and so he is definitely someone that wants to get the ball down and play. 

The former Colchester United man will look to get up in support of the play, make runs from deep and provide an option on the overlap. Good delivery from wide. The ability to carry through the thirds. Whether Mark Cooper plays a three or four man defence, I think that Clampin provides options to Cooper across the board. Comfortable with the ball and suitably mobile to be a left-sided centre-back. The energy and drive to be used as a wing-back. 

While he played in the National League last season with Braintree Town, Chelmsford City are likely in a better position to provide them with a better financial package than what he has had with The Iron. This will provide him with the opportunity to stay local to where he is now given that he has been in Essex for the last few campaigns, and I think that this is the type of signing that I can see The Clarets making.

Alex Whittle (Yeovil Town – free)

The second left-back that I would look at if I were Chelmsford City and one that I can definitely see ending up signing this summer is Alex Whittle. Currently on the books at Yeovil Town, I expect that he will be let go. Regardless, I think that Mark Cooper will come calling for his services. 

There is definitely a question mark over his injury and fitness record over the last few seasons and that is why I have aired on the side of caution and said that he would join as a back-up or provide competition to Ryan Clampin. I think that if this deal did go ahead then it would probably be best to do so on a 1-year-deal with the caveat of him proving his fitness and getting extended beyond that. I do, however, feel that he provides real value. 

Whittle is an intelligent full-back and strong defensively. He is not the biggest, but he is able to use his body well, reads the game effectively and has got a good appreciation for where the ball is going to drop. He is a steady customer in terms of good decision-making on the ball, when to push up and step into midfield, and he has got the experience to know how to play the system that Mark Cooper does. 

If The Clarets are to go on and win the league, having a player that has been there and done it and been part of a successful side for the level will definitely be key. Albeit, I appreciate that the same could be said for the core of previous winners The Clarets signed last summer under Angelo Harrop. Whittle is now 33 years of age and played just under 500 appearances, and I believe he would make for a good addition to this City squad.

Luke Badley-Morgan (Stoke City – loan)

Personally, I feel that The Clarets need to add two centre-backs in the summer. Especially considering that I think Ben Tompkins – who I rate highly – may well get an offer to play higher. 

With Joe Grimwood and Adam Crowther already at their disposal, I would like to see them go and add some pace and mobility into the backline. Ideally a left-footer. One player that I quite like the look of and one that could provide a number of options given that he can be played centrally or as a full-back is Stoke City’s Luke Badley-Morgan. He is 22 years of age, and he could represent a useful loan option.

He is a left-footed centre-back that is highly-rated within the youth scene given that he has been capped by England at youth level and was previously in the academy at Chelsea. 

Having watched Chelmsford City in 2025-26, I think that Badley-Morgan would definitely provide The Clarets with some skillsets that they have not got. That ability on the ball. The composure in stepping out into the midfield. The speed and mobility in defending wide spaces. The ability to defend in the channel and be combative in duels. Especially if The Clarets do opt to go with a back three, I think that he could be a good stylistic fit for playing on the left of a back three. 

I haven’t picked out many loan signings as part of this recruitment driven for The Clarets and the geography might be a bit of a barrier, but if they could get him then I think they would get a top player.

Charlie Cooper (Yeovil Town – free)

The one signing that I don’t think will need too much in the way of imagination is Yeovil Town’s Charlie Cooper. He finished the campaign on loan at National League North side Kidderminster Harriers, and while they will want to keep him with every good intention I do feel confident that he will end up joining The Clarets.

One thing that I feel The Clarets have missed this term is that leadership. They have got a handful of players who have stepped up in big moments, but in terms of that ability to properly lead the team and galvanise the group I do think that has been lacking. In my opinion, Charlie Cooper is the player that they hoped Dom Odusanya and Tom Lapslie would be in terms of that leader.

One thing that Cooper does provide Mark Cooper in terms of being able to stamp his authority on this team and integrate his ideas is that familiarity of having been part of his sides at a number of clubs. Given the way that Mark Cooper likes his team to play and to dominate the ball, I think that it would be hugely advantageous having a player of Cooper’s profile at the base of midfield who has done that job so well on so many occasions before.

In terms of the type of player that he is, Cooper is a physical powerhouse. One of the best athletes that I have come across at this level. A powerful runner. Terrific athleticism to get about the pitch. As tough as they come. Tenacious in the tackle. Willing to receive the ball against the press. A good passer of the ball. The engine to drive the ball forward from deep.

If Chelmsford City are to go and get promoted, I think that having a player of Cooper’s experience and personality will be a key addition to the group. Signing his profile to add into the midfield will allow the likes of Archie Tamplin to be used closer to the goal and that is where I feel he is at his best. He has won a league title before under Mark Cooper, and a safe bet for the captaincy if he does sign. I can see this happening.

Cav Miley (Southend United – free)

One player that I think The Clarets could look at in the summer is Cav Miley. While he is still playing for Southend United here and there, I do wonder whether or not this summer might be the time in which Miley moves on for a new club and a change of setting. 

Miley has played 31 times for Southend United this season, but The Blues are well-stocked in the centre of the park with Appiah-Forson, Morton, Chambers-Parillon, Coker, Austin and Husin. He has played a total of 1,700 minutes, and so has not been an immediate starter for United throughout the campaign. He is still a huge part of what they are doing, albeit has had one or two knocks that have hampered his involvement for the duration. 

In terms of his profile, Miley plays in front of the backline and is a technical metronome in receiving the ball, recycling through midfield and controlling the tempo of a game. Physically strong and robust against the press. The composure to get it and give it under pressure, and the intelligence and passing range to break the press in passing through the lines. Tactically, he is strong and with a good appreciation for reading the play and in screening the backline in cutting out passing lanes. I could quite foresee a midfield with Miley sitting deeper as more of a quarterback, Cooper sitting in front with his physicality and athleticism, and the likes of Tamplin, Murphy and Adigun buzzing around in an offensive capacity. 

It would definitely be a major coup if Chelmsford City could attract a player of his quality to the football club, and would be a major statement of their intent to go and get promoted out of the league in 2026-27. 

If he does leave Southend United, John Still may well be able to make use of his connections to the club to prize him away to join The Clarets, with Still having held a role as Head of Recruitment with The Blues until his recent departure. He may well feel that he can get another National League deal and I would agree with that sentiment, but with the ambition that The Clarets are showing then he may well be attracted to join the project and try to get City into the National League themselves.

Jordan Young (Torquay United – fee)

The big elephant in the room. It is perhaps an easy follow, isn’t it? Re-sign a player that he has had before. However, in this case, I genuinely feel that there is a possibility that Jordan Young could reunite with Mark Cooper.

Having watched this season and having seen the arrival of Jimmy Ball at Plainmoor, I personally don’t think that Jordan Young is Ball’s type of player. Ball has openly stated that he wants a team that is full of energy, power, that is willing to run and tackle and fight for the team. There has definitely been improvement from Young this term – without a doubt – but his best attributes are in the wonder of his technical ability rather than his off-the-ball qualities. I could quite easily see a situation in which Jimmy Ball could be tempted to sell. I wouldn’t – I love Jordan Young – but I could absolutely see it. 

In a Chelmsford City team who are fairly strong defensively already, I think that adding a player of Jordan Young’s wizardry and skill would be the chef’s kiss in what I feel is two or three good attackers away from being a title-winning side. 

When I have watched The Clarets this season, I have come away thinking that they do not have enough creativity or technical quality from open-play. Everything is direct. Not enough risk-takers. No one that can go and create that bit of magic to go and win them a game off the cuff. Jordan Young is that player. He has done it with Torquay United. He did it to the tune of a title and the Player of the Year with Yeovil Town when they got promoted out of the National League South. 

Ultimately, Mark Cooper gave Jordan Young his debut at Swindon Town all those years ago, and then signed him from Chippenham Town and made him into the best player in the league with Yeovil Town. Mark Cooper will know that if he can get Jordan Young firing like he knows he can, it may be the difference in winning the league. It will likely cost The Clarets, but I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest.

George Nikaj (Dover Athletic – free)

Given the way that Mark Cooper sets his side up to play, the #9 has to be fairly mobile yet capable of leading the line as a more traditional forward. One player who I think would be perfect for that role having done something similar with his current club Dover Athletic is George Nikaj. 

In terms of his profile, I think that George Nikaj represents that really nice middle ground between having the size, the physicality and the frame to lead the line, yet the clever movement, speed and power to play in behind. 

In my opinion, this is the type of signing that Chelmsford City should be signing more of in being young, hungry and with a point to prove. A similar player profile in terms of age and trajectory to the likes of Archie Tamplin and Harry Barbrook. Nikaj is 22 years of age. Can press. Capable in the air. Can play back-to-goal. Deceptively quick for a player of his size. Hugely coachable, and has got a willingness to learn. He ticks a number of the boxes that I would be looking for in a prospective player.

In the grand scheme of things, The Whites are not going to be in a financial position to be able to compete with Chelmsford City in the event that they want to sign him. With the greatest of respect to Dover Athletic, the offer to join a club who are very much aiming for promotion and offering the package that they are is a significant step change from The Whites and likely one that Nikaj wouldn’t be able to turn down. 

If he does leave Dover Athletic in the summer, I do feel that the youngster will have a lot of interest by way of the form that he has been in the last 12-18 months with The Whites. However, given the level of ambition that they have got I think that The Clarets may well be able to attract him into the league.

Ben Wodskou (Birmingham City – free)

The final player that I have picked out on this list is one that is currently on the books of Birmingham City in the form of Ben Wodskou. The youngster finished the previous campaign with Brackley Town in the National League North, and is out of contract with The Blues in the summer. To give The Clarets something a little different to what they have currently got, I think that he would be worth a look. 

Mark Cooper is a manager that very much favours familiarity in terms of personnel, and in Wodskou The Clarets would be getting a player that Cooper has managed before when he was at Yeovil Town. After losing his job at Huish Park, Cooper also spent time with Birmingham City and their academy and so will have knowledge of Wodskou and a relationship on which to build.

In terms of what he offers as a profile, Wodskou is a quick and athletic player that brings a real energy to the forward line. A willing runner off the shoulder, Wodskou would be the ideal candidate of #9 to play alongside a player like Lyle Taylor given that he has got the athleticism and power to get on the end of knock-downs and in running beyond the play. 

I think that the likelihood is that he will be let go at the end of the season by Birmingham City, with a realistic pathway into the first-team a long way off. If he does get released, I feel that signing for a manager that he has played under and familiarity with may well be of interest to him. He would be learning off a hugely experienced centre forward in the form of Lyle Taylor and that can only be beneficial for his development.