2026-27 Recruitment Plan for Colchester United

Player Decisions

Retain

Adrian Akande, Ben Perry, Frankie Terry, Jack Tucker, Jaden Williams, Teddy Bishop, Harry Anderson, Jack Payne, Sam Kuffour, Ellis Iandolo, Arthur Read, Kane Vincent-Young, Rob Hunt, Tom Smith, Frankie Edwards, Kien Connolly, Milton Oni

Release

Dom Gape, Jack Baldwin, John-Kymani Gordon, Matt Macey

Loan Out

Frankie Edwards, Kien Connolly, Milton Oni, Sam Kuffour

Lose

Owura Edwards, Samson Tovide, Max Jolliffe

Sell

Kyreece Lisbie

Retained Squad

New Signings

Mason Terry (West Ham United – loan)

I was surprised to see Matt Macey released at the end of the campaign, and so a lot of focus this summer for Danny Cowley will be finding a new #1. One player that I would look at as a prospective signing is young goalkeeper Mason Terry on loan from West Ham United. 

Terry comes off the back of a strong individual campaign with Braintree Town in which the youngster was the pick of the performers for Steve Pitt’s side, with numerous Man of the Match awards, the Player of the Season trophy, and he even managed to get on the scoresheet. Alas, if it weren’t for the inspired displays of the 21-year-old then The Iron would’ve been relegated from the National League far sooner than they eventually were. As such, I feel that he has developed a good reputation and will certainly not be short of offers. 

If I am in West Ham United’s shoes, I would be looking to try and identify an opportunity to test Terry at a higher level in 2026-27. I believe that after a good year in the National League stepping up into League Two represents a sensible destination for the youngster to go and play his football. The fact that Macey has been moved on during the summer opens the door for Terry to go and play week-in, week-out in League Two as a #1, and that is a commodity that I think the youngster needs at this stage of his development. 

As a player, I think that Terry has got all the attributes that you look for in a young goalkeeper. He is a commanding presence, dominates his box well, agile off his line in coming for crosses, and is a confident shot-stopper. Especially in a physically demanding league like League Two, I feel that you need a goalkeeper that has got the physicality and stature to control his penalty area, collect set-pieces and catch under pressure, and I feel that Terry is a good fit for this. He has shown a real maturity for a player so relatively inexperienced for first-team football, 

There will be a lot of interest in his signature after the season that he has had, but I feel that signing for Colchester United represents the right club at the right time. He just needs to play games, and so going into an environment whereby he will be the #1 will be hugely beneficial for the youngster. I am expecting that United will again look to utilise their contacts in navigating the loan market effectively – especially if John Terry seals his move upstairs in taking a stake in the club – and so I feel that United should be near the front of the queue for Terry’s signature.

Kyle McAdam (Nottingham Forest – fee)

One area in which Colchester United will be looking to strengthen during the summer is at left-back. Injuries to Perry Iandolo have meant that centre-back Frankie Terry has been used as a makeshift left-back, and so ensuring that they have got the right degree of cover in the squad is key in managing any potential injury woes that continue into 2026-27. 

An option that I particularly like by way of the fact that he can fill in at left-back, but equally playing in a number of roles, is Kyle McAdam. He has played a lot of his work as a wing-back or wide midfielder, but can play as a left-back. Danny Cowley has had to maintain a fairly small squad with a focus on quality over quantity, and so having a player that is as versatile as McAdam is incredibly useful. 

One of the other advantages that McAdam provides is greater attacking endeavour from deep. Strong on the ball. Good delivery. Technically proficient. A delicate weight of pass. A capable ball-carrier. A good engine to get up in support of the play. A lot of the emphasis on chance creation from deep has been put on Read and Payne, but having a player in McAdam that can invert into midfield will allow the midfielders to get into more advanced positions. 

One of Danny Cowley’s best sides at Lincoln City had Sam Habergham at left-back, and he had terrific technical quality and delivery from wide. Having a technician with the engine of McAdam playing left of a back four would enable United to fashion those crossing opportunities more effectively. 

The youngster is contracted to Nottingham Forest until the end of the 2026-27 campaign, but I think that with new investment on the horizon then he could represent a sensible long-term investment for the group. He is only 22 years of age, out of a good academy, and has a lot of potential. Danny Cowley has demonstrated that he has got good relations with Nottingham Forest given the signings of Ben Perry and Jamie McDonnell, and I feel they should re-visit that connection in bringing McAdam into the club.

Stephan Negru (Oxford United – free)

Jack Tucker has arguably been Player of the Season this year for United, and so retaining his services will be a key part of their summer recruitment. They need to find a partner alongside him. One player on the market that does take my fancy and one that I would look at as a prospective signing is Stephan Negru. 

Negru finished the 2025-26 campaign on loan at Tranmere Rovers, and up until the end of the campaign was officially contracted on the books at Oxford United. The 23-year-old has perhaps struggled to show up as effective as he was during his strong loan spell at Salford City by way of Tranmere Rovers’ overall failings, but I rate Negru highly. He was particularly impressive with The Ammies, and while he perhaps had an underwhelming 2025-26 I do retain a lot of faith in him being a good centre-back for the level.

I expected that Negru would be allowed to leave Oxford United in the summer by way of the fact that he has had little opportunity to date, with United likely to trim their squad and retain players who can be directly impactful in the ‘here and now’ for The Yellows in League One. That is exactly what happened, and the centre-back is now available on a free transfer. I believe that he will have a fair bit of interest in his signature, but I feel that United may be able to attract him to sign for United. 

As a player, Negru is an aggressive, front-footed type that likes to engage the opposition with a physical play style. He is good at fundamentals of defending. Strong aerially. A tough tackler. He is also fairly quick and comfortable with the ball, and so represents a nice all-round profile for a centre-back. Danny Cowley played such a pivotal role in the development of a player in Sean Raggett that was one of the best aerial aggressors that I have seen in the lower leagues in recent years, and so if there is anyone to platform Negru effectively and get the best out of him then I think it is The Cowley Brothers. 

The way that Danny Cowley sets up this Colchester United side – and indeed his sides historically – is that the defence has very little in the way of ball-playing responsibility and favours a lower block, and so that will allow Negru’s box qualities to shine. Danny Cowley wants his defenders to focus on defending first and foremost with little emphasis on stepping into midfield, and so stylistically he is a good fit. I believe he is a top-end League Two operator, and so if United can get him then I feel it would be a clever acquisition.

Dylan Kadji (Wealdstone – fee)

Having watched Colchester United this term, one thing that I think they have lacked is that physical presence in the midfield. A robust and tenacious ball-winner. A size to complement the more technical types of Read and Payne. To ensure they’ve got the right overall balance, finding that profile of midfielder is going to be key during the summer – I feel – if they’re to be competitive and push into the top seven. 

I am a huge advocate for non-league and identifying players who can step up, and one player that has particularly shown up well not just this term but in the time I have seen him over the last few campaigns is Dylan Kadji. A 22-year-old midfielder that is plying his trade at Wealdstone and a key driving force in what has been a successful season for The Stones, the youngster has developed nicely across the campaign. I think he is capable of stepping up. 

One of the advantages you get with Kadji is that he has got the all-round game to be used in a variety of midfield roles. The ball-carrying qualities and running power to play as a box-to-box eight. The tenacity in the tackle and physical presence to be a combative six. The close control and shooting power to be used as a ten. A signing of his profile gives Cowley a lot of options in how he chooses to set up his midfield depending on the personnel available.

At his best, I think Kadji is an eight with the license to carry the ball and drive to goal. His strength is in clever use of his frame. The power in his legs. The physicality in holding off markers. The ability to cover ground effortlessly. The athleticism to break into the box and get beyond the ball. I think that alongside more of a passer in Read you’ve got a nice mix of skillsets to allow others to step in, rotate nicely, and complement each other.

Crucially, I feel his size and physicality will allow them to compete better against the more direct and aggressive sides where this year they have perhaps fallen short. Under a top coach in Danny Cowley, I think Kadji can be a major success. Hugely coachable. A good age. Season-on-season progression. I feel he would be a good signing for United to make.

Aron Sasu (AFC Wimbledon – loan)

If I were The Dons, I think that Sasu may well be one that they look to move on to pastures new in the summer given that he has perhaps played a bit-part role and that they may need better if they’re to remain competitive at League One level. Yet, I think that he has a number of good qualities that – with the benefit of time and under a good coach – could make him a useful attribute for a side in League Two. 

One of the things that I have seen with Sasu is that he can play in a number of different roles. He has the height and physicality to be deployed through the middle. Predominantly – and most effectively – used wide. In this AFC Wimbledon side, he has had to play in various roles to suit the team. 

Personally, I feel that Sasu needs to simplify his role. Find a position. Make it his own. Simplify his game, and do it well. If he is going to go and be a success higher, or hold down a position in the team, I think that he has got to do one position really well. He hasn’t got the technical craft or game intelligence (yet) to play to the level needed in League One across the board. His best position is a left winger, and this is where I’d see him playing for United.

His height makes him particularly useful when used wide in providing an outlet in switching play. Aerial advantage against typically smaller full-backs. He has got a large frame, and he can use that effectively carrying the ball. A good engine. Fairly quick. He needs to develop more aggression to his play, but there are some nice qualities there to work with. 

He has won promotion from the division before, and so that is always beneficial for a United side that are themselves looking to go up. He is still only 21 years of age, and so despite still being under contract with AFC Wimbledon I think that he could well go out on loan to play games on a regular basis and still harbour long-term ambitions with The Dons. If Colchester United are able to get him, I feel that Sasu would be a stellar loan acquisition.

Asher Agbinone (Crystal Palace – free)

I think that youngster Kyreece Lisbie may well be a target for clubs higher up the pyramid during the summer. Replacing a player of that quality is going to be a difficult assignment for Danny Cowley, but I have got a player in mind that I think could well be a realistic target in the form of Crystal Palace’s Asher Agbinone. 

Colchester United are likely to maintain a focus on quality over quantity with their recruitment during the summer, and so signing players who are versatile in playing different roles is going to be key. Agbinone is capable of playing on either side or through the middle, and so he gives Danny Cowley a number of different options. He is, however, most effective out wide when he can isolate players and utilise his qualities. 

In terms of the profile that he provides, Agbinone is a fast and direct wide player. Quick feet, the unpredictability and low centre of gravity to go either way, quick changes of direction, and is a confident ball-carrier. The wingers in this Cowley system have to be fairly good in 1-on-1 situations given that they see a lot of the ball having worked opportunities to isolate the opposition full-back, and Agbinone represents a good fit for this system. He will take risks, carry to goal, commit players and get the opposition running back towards their own goal. 
He definitely has work to do, but I think that he is the type of player for whom if he can add that extra but of final product then he can go on to play higher. He has got the physical attributes, and I feel it needs a good manager such as Cowley to platform him correctly.

He is by no means polished, and his last loan spell in League Two certainly wasn’t one in which he ripped up any proverbial trees. However, I am always hesitant to judge players purely off the back of a single loan when it is their first and I am an advocate for his second loan spell being the time when players out of academy football will find their feet. He is still young, out of a good academy, and I think that he is worth a look at to sign on a long-term deal as a bit of a project.

Joe Gbode (Luton Town – loan)

If youngster Micah Mbick had not got injured earlier this season, I think that Colchester United would go on to get in the play-offs. That is how important I believe the Addicks loanee was with United. However, the chances of getting him back next season are very slim to say the least. As such, they are going to have to find alternative solutions. 

One player that I watched earlier this season and was hugely impressed with, and who I feel may be a good stylistic fit for playing the role that Micah Mbick did so well for Colchester United was Joe Gbode. By way of the EFL transfer window closing, Gbode finished the campaign on loan at Woking in the National League. I am unsure whether or not he will be used by The Hatters next season in the league, but in the event that he isn’t then I think he could be worth a look. 

In terms of a profile, Gbode is the powerful and aggressive type that Mbick is, and that caused so many problems for defenders. Most effective when he is fired up and angry, he is such a handful for defenders. Physically imposing. Powerful. Clever use of his body in holding off players. A little bit unpolished, and I think – when harnessed correctly – that can be a real asset. Tenacious in the tackle. He makes it difficult for the opposition to win the ball, and he dominates in the penalty area with his eagerness to get on the end of deliveries. 

Looking at the options that are available to Colchester United on the market, I don’t think that they’re going to find anybody that is better-suited to providing United with the skillsets necessary in replacing Micah Mbick. When you can get that real ‘fire in his belly’ and get him playing with aggression and power, I feel Gbode can be a real handful. We saw in glimpses with The Cards that he is a good player when he is operating full of confidence, and if United are to sign a player in a similar vein to Micah Mbick that can occupy defenders, be hugely aggressive against the ball and that can make it difficult for defenders to dispossess them then I feel Gbode is the standout pick. 

He is still only 21 years of age, and so still has a lot of development in his game. He is the type of player who I think Danny Cowley would relish working with. He has played a part in the development of so many #9’s of Gbode’s physical profile (e.g. Akinde, Mbick, Cheek etc) and stylistically I feel that he would be a good fit for United. If they can get him, I think they would have as close a replacement for Mbick as they can find on the market.

John Marquis (Shrewsbury Town – free)

One of the problems that I feel Colchester United have had this season is that they have lacked a bit of nous and experience at the top end of the pitch. Micah Mbick and Will Goodwin have played much of the minutes for United, yet they’ve definitely missed a player of the profile of a Lyle Taylor. 

Marquis is 33 years of age, and has held the role as captain with The Shrews for the last few campaigns. Promotion from League Two with Doncaster Rovers. Experience in all three leagues. He even played under Danny Cowley at Portsmouth. That familiarity of the league and the United boss may well stand them in good stead if they are going to go and be successful in 2026-27.

Over the years, his game has adapted slightly from being that striker that can play on the last line to one that we have seen at Shrewsbury Town in being more of a ‘traditional’ #9 in providing a reference for his side. Fairly good back-to-goal. A hard-working striker that looks to bring others into play, occupy defenders, and do the ‘hard yards’ to fashion opportunities. He is an intelligent player, and someone that – at this point in his career – might not be the flashy customer that is going to win a game with a moment of skill or trickery, yet is equally a player that knows how to bring others into play, is a strong decision maker in front of goal and willing to be that slightly more selfless for the collective cause. 

While there have been rumours of Taylor returning, I think that an alternative option that they could look at – in terms of that experience – is John Marquis. Out of contract with fellow League Two outfit Shrewsbury Town, I expected The Shrews to shuffle the pack during the summer in their forward line and so it is perhaps not a surprise that Marquis was let go by the club going into 2026-27- 

If Colchester United are to be successful, I think that there is a lot of value in them having that more experienced profile that may only play 25-30 games, perhaps more of a bit-part figure, and yet can provide that bit of nous and knowhow of being part of competitive sides. He is definitely in the final few years of his career at this level, but if they can work a 1-year-deal for his services to come in as a squad player to nurture their other strikers and use efficiently then I think he can be a sensible signing. 

Rory Wilson (Aston Villa – loan)

The final player that I have picked out on this list is perhaps the most ambitious suggestion given that he is on the books of Premier League Aston Villa, and has been tipped to play higher than League Two; youngster Rory Wilson. The Scottish youth international finished the campaign out on loan at Sturm Graz in Austria, and with the 20-year-old unlikely to push his way into the first-team with Aston Villa then I think a loan away from Villa Park would be the most logical next step for him in his development. 

As a profile for a #9, I think that Wilson represents a lovely mix of skillsets that make him well-suited to leading the line as an out-and-out centre forward. He has drawn a number of comparisons during his time with Aston Villa for being a ‘traditional #9’ given that he is physically strong, robust against the opposition defensive line with his aerial quality, clever use of his body, and in occupying defenders with good back-to-goal work. 

One of the key reasons as to why I am such a big fan of Wilson is due to the fact that while he can handle the physical attributes of being a #9, the youngster has got the agile movement, speed and change of direction to play on the shoulder of the opposition and in attacking space. The young Villa forward has demonstrated that he is an instinctive finisher, with a lovely mix of finishes in his locker, and someone that is mobile and durable in his playing style. Often, you get a striker that has the size and physicality in leading the line yet compromise for off-the-ball work, yet Wilson is someone that is always on the move, quick off the mark and has got intelligent running between the lines. 

Indeed, when I have watched United this term I feel they have been a bit too predictable in the way that they play. Their approach play into the final third has been too direct, too slow and not enough variation. Having a forward of the profile such that they can ‘pull a defence’ around slightly more effectively when they get the ball and vary his runs will give them greater propensity to open teams up that they perhaps struggled to do last term. 

The youngster is highly-rated at youth level internationally, having already been capped by Scotland. He has a strong work ethic, a willing presser off the ball and someone that is fairly selfless in his playing style in chasing lost causes, running the channels and providing an outlet for the team. He has pricked the attention of a number of sides on the European stage due to his form at youth level, and I think he would be a good addition to this United front line.