2026-27 Recruitment Plan for Crewe Alexandra

Player Decisions

Retain

Ian Lawlor, Tom Booth, Phil Croker, Reece Hutchinson, Mickey Demetriou, Dion Rankine, Jack Lankester, Josh March, Matus Holicek, Owen Taylor, Owen Lunt, Calum Agius, Joel Tabiner, Adrien Thibaut, Conor Thomas, Stan Dancey, Luca Moore, Fin Roberts

Release

Olly Armstrong, Omar Bogle, Charlie Finney, Jordan Hodkin, Louis Moult, Zac Williams, Shillow Tracey, Jack Powell

Loan End

Tommi O’Reilly, Emre Tezgel, Alfie Pond

Loan Out

Stan Dancey, Luca Moore, Fin Roberts, Owen Taylor

Lose / Sell

Lewis Billington, James Connolly, Max Sanders

Sign

Luke Offord, Jordan Gibson, Joe White

Retained Squad

New Signings

Greg Sandiford (Coventry City – free)

The Railwaymen have offered a new deal to Lewis Billington, but I think that the youngster may well move on to pastures new. Regardless, Lee Bell will have to sign a new right-back this summer. One player that is available after being let go by his parent club at the end of the 2025-26 campaign and someone that I have liked the look of when I have seen him play – albeit at a lower level – is Greg Sandiford.

With The Sky Blues having been promoted to the top flight, it is perhaps not a surprise that the 21-year-old was let go on a free transfer. He is at the time in his career where he needs to go and play football, and so I felt this summer represented a sensible time for him to go and find a new permanent home. He is yet to play in the Football League – with the majority of his minutes having come on loan with Bedford Town in the National League North – but I think that he has got the ability to play higher. I would be confident that he could adjust to playing in League Two, especially under a top coach like Bell. 

The youngster is a nice profile for a full-back. The Railwaymen switch between the use of a four and a five, and so any full-back that they do sign has to be fairly athletic, quick in covering ground, and has got the engine to get ‘up and down’. In both cases, I think Sandiford can adapt his game to playing on that right-hand side. As a wing-back, you allow him to use his physical attributes and running power in getting high and taking players back towards their own goal, and in giving the team an option on the overlap. Equally, he is suited to a four given that he relishes 1v1 duels, an aggressive defender with good recovery pace.

In terms of replacing Lewis Billington and the way that he played, I think that Greg Sandiford is a good stylistic fit. Billington made those trademark runs from deep on the overlap in progressing the ball, and Sandiford can provide that same endeavour from right-back given that he is a capable ball-carrier, technically strong and has got that explosive power in attacking space. Given that he is still untested in the Football League, there is definitely development in his game that is required to play at the level required for the top end of League Two, but in terms of his base attributes then I feel he has got the ticks you want. 

Given his profile, I feel that he can provide options for The Railwaymen on both sides of the pitch at full-back and could be equally effective in playing as a wide centre-back in a three. All of the signings that The Railwaymen use this term are going to have to be flexible and capable of playing in different roles, and Sandiford impressed with his maturity and the speed at which he learns such that he can adapt to play on either side. 

I think that Sandiford would thrive playing in a professional, full-time environment, and so I feel he represents a nice project for Lee Bell. He has got all of the physical attributes that you’d typically look for, a good age, is out of a strong academy, and comes off the back of a strong campaign in first-team football in which he has developed nicely. At a club that has a reputation for being one of the best in terms of youth development in the Football League, I think that joining The Railwaymen would be a good option for Sandiford.

Joe Grayson (Gateshead – free)

The first centre-back on this list is a name that I am once again using for The Railwaymen, given that I picked him out as a target for Lee Bell to sign last summer; former Gateshead defender Joe Grayson. He is a player that I think provides good value for The Railwaymen on a free transfer, and with Grayson having announced his departure from Gateshead last week I think that Crewe Alexandra should make a move for his signature. 

Grayson is another player that provides the requisite tick against the versatile box. The 27-year-old can play as a centre-back, as a left-back and at the base of midfield. His best position is as a left-sided centre-back, be it in a four or a three. The fact that Grayson is capable of playing in these different positions provides value for Lee Bell given that he can adjust depending on the requirement of the team. He will likely be fairly cheap considering the options they could sign on the market in that department, and so I think that even if he doesn’t play a high volume of minutes then it is the type of deal that they should do regardless of providing depth for the squad. 

Grayson has played – albeit briefly – in the Football League, with spells at Barrow, Grimsby Town and Oxford United across both League One and League Two, and so while Grayson may be stepping up into the Football League to sign for The Railwaymen in a level higher than he finished last term the EFL is not a new challenge for the defender. If The Railwaymen are to take a chance on players from outside the EFL pyramid, signing those that have already got an appreciation for the league is potentially incredibly useful in allowing them to adjust quicker to the step up. 

At the age of 27-years-old, I think that Grayson is a very low-risk signing for The Railwaymen. I don’t think that they are going to find a player of the age profile and experience together with the fact he is a left-footed centre-back, plus the versatility to play so many different positions, on as cost-effective a deal as they may be able to get Joe Grayson. He hasn’t ripped up trees in the National League, but I feel that Joe Grayson could more than handle the step up into the Football League.

Tivonge Rushesha (Reading – free)

Lee Bell has already sighted the fact that they are being ‘blown out of the water’ financially by some of the other sides in League Two. As such, their approach to the market should be identifying players that simply want to play and grasp the opportunity of playing in the Football League. One player that I think could well be tempted to accept slightly less than he would have been paid elsewhere in order to get game time that he saw little of during 2025-26 is former Reading player Tivonge Rushesha. 

As a profile, I really like Rushesha and think that if you can platform him right then he can be a real handful. He has got electric pace, a powerful runner and someone that carries the ball with real intensity. I remember watching him years ago and he was a relentless livewire on that right-hand side in always wanting to provide an option on the overlap and in driving forward from deep, I feel it would be useful to add some more pace to their side, and so Rushesha would represent a good fit for that. 

One of the advantages that The Railwaymen get in signing the 23-year-old is that he is flexible and can play in a number of different roles. He has been used as a full-back, got the engine to play as a wing-back, he can be used slightly further forward as a winger, and has played at the base of midfield. Given the constraints that he has to work within, Bell has got to try and extract as much value out of his signings. Signing a composite player that can cover a number of bases within the group is incredibly useful, and ensures that they can potentially run a slightly smaller squad to spend a little more elsewhere. 

Indeed, given the squad that The Railwaymen have got I think that he provides real value for money. Rankine has had time out through injury and is unreliable, and so I feel Rushesha could play further forward as an alternative to him. 

One thing that I particularly like about Rushesha as a prospective signing is the fact that the last campaign was a stop-start one for the youngster. He was very much on the sidelines for The Royals, and spoke openly about the impact that had on him. I think that sometimes one of the best things that you can do as a manager is sign players with a point to prove or have that extra hunger to do well, and in the case of Tivonge Rushesha I feel they’d be signing a player that is eager to right the wrongs of the past 12 months and get back to playing regularly. 

The youngster has come through a good academy at Swansea City, and so has got a strong technical upbringing. He is still only 23 years of age, and I think that he is looking for that next upturn in his career. I believe Lee Bell is a particularly strong man-manager, platforms players effectively and is willing to give players an opportunity. He would be dropping down a league from where he was last season, but if I was advising Tivonge Rushesha then I would say he should jump at the opportunity.

Luke Young (Cheltenham Town – free)

Every season, I think that the success of The Railwaymen’s recruitment is in being able to identify two or three experienced players to complement the group. They’ve already done well in that regard in the addition of Jordan Gibson and Luke Offord, but I would try and add another with that experience of League Two to the group. One player that I feel they may well be to get for a reasonable price given the geography works in their favour and who is available after being let go by Cheltenham Town is Luke Young. 

The midfielder currently lives in Oswestry, and the rumour on the grapevine was that he wants to try and remain fairly local to home having spent time at Wrexham. The Railwaymen are about an hour away, and so unless Young goes and signs for National League North big-hitters Hednesford Town or indeed fellow League Two sides Walsall or Shrewsbury Town I think that Lee Bell’s side could be in pole position. The Saddlers and The Shrews have both strengthened their midfield already this summer and I feel Young is still a League footballer, and so I believe joining The Railwaymen is the best option. 

As a player, I feel that he is best arriving onto the play. When you play him as a deep-lying midfielder, I think that he is too static receiving the ball on the angle and instead wants too many touches of the ball. I would always look to try and get the best out of a player and play to their strengths, and I think that Young’s best attributes are his ball-striking and technical quality. He can pick a pass. He is an excellent ball-striker. He has got a good delivery. If you play him more advanced where he can get on the edge of the box, I think this is where you will see the best version of him. 

While he might not play every game, I think he would be a good option for Lee Bell to sign at the base of midfield. They’ve let an experienced player in Jack Powell depart the club earlier in the summer, and so Young would be filling the void vacated by him. Young is now 33 years of age, and has been part of the Wrexham side that won promotion from the National League into League One. He is a winner, and I think it would be useful to have his experience around the group. 

Personally, I feel that the benefits of Young signing would be twofold beyond simply him as a player. One thing that has always impressed me about Luke Young is his work-rate and the fact that he is a terrific professional. The Railwaymen are a fairly young side and have got a number of academy prospects breaking through, and I think there is value in having a character like Young for them to learn off and setting the standards. 

After being let go by Cheltenham Town, Luke Young will be looking to stay in the Football League albeit he may be appreciative of the fact that given he is now 33 years of age he might not be a regular starter. As such, I think that coming in to be a squad player with Lee Bell’s side represents a good fit for what he wants.

Jack Spong (Worthing – free)

One area of the pitch that I would be looking to strengthen if I were Lee Bell is to bring in another creative #10. When I watched The Railwaymen in 2025-26, I felt that they were a good side, yet perhaps lacked that extra intricacy and weight of pass in front of goal to break teams down. One player that is available and I would urge Lee Bell to make a move for at this stage given that I don’t envisage he will be available for much longer as we approach pre-season is former Worthing man Jack Spong. 

Spong is a player that has particularly impressed me during his time at Worthing, with the midfielder having been one of the key creative architects of The Rebels’ success in getting promoted out of the National League South. 

As a player, Spong is a wonderfully technical midfielder with a lovely weight of pass and good vision in being able to play through the lines. Having progressed out of the Brighton and Hove Albion academy and playing under a coach in Adam Hinshelwood that prides himself on getting the ball down and playing, Spong is a player that has a good first touch and can both inject pace in the play or slow it down with neat give-and-goes. 

I think that you get the best out of Spong when he pulls off into the wide #10 half-spaces whereby he can get on the ball, spin and play forward. When he plays centrally in a deeper role, that is where he potentially lacks the size to shield the ball and tenacity against the press. His best attributes are in his creativity, ability to see a pass and his ball-striking, and so I feel that if you can get him with his head up, facing the goal and allowing him to get shots off and create. 

In the National League South, Spong had the time and space to get on the ball in slightly deeper positions. Stepping up into the Football League, I would make sure that you can get him the right side of the ball and play him in higher positions closer to the opposition goal, as I think that is where he is best-suited to do his work against better players. In the same way that Matus Holicek played slightly off the flank as a very narrow midfielder, I think that is where Jack Spong can provide real value for The Railwaymen. 

One of the reasons as to why I particularly like Spong as an option is that he is a left-footed midfielder, and so provides balance to the Crewe Alexandra midfield. The Railwaymen were particularly effective when I watched them playing in neat triangles, at speed and having the confidence to play out, and so I think that will suit Spong’s game.

The only question mark that I have with Spong is the fact that he is a rather diminutive customer, and at times perhaps lacked the physicality against the more industrious sides. That may well be one of the reasons as to why Worthing opted to let the youngster move on at the end of the campaign following their promotion to the National League, and so Spong’s ability to step up into the Football League well will be reliant on his ability to a) develop physically and b) for Bell to platform him right. 

Angelo Capello (FC Halifax Town – free)

One player that I have picked out on this list as a potential target for The Railwaymen to go for is Angelo Capello. The midfielder finished the campaign with National League side FC Halifax Town, yet will be moving on this summer. While there have been rumours flying around social media that he may well drop down a division to sign for Morecambe, I think that his best bet is to step up a division and sign for The Railwaymen. 

A key aspect of summer recruitment is long-term planning, and ensuring that they are able to pre-empt the loss of players mid-term. While he has extended his contract, I think that Lee Bell will be appreciative of the fact that youngster Matus Holicek will continue to court interest from elsewhere in the Football League. As such, I feel it is important for them to bring in a player that can provide a) competition in the short-term to Holicek and b) continuity of style in his absence. While Capello has done the majority of his work in a slightly wider role, I feel that the former Shaymen attacker represents a good profile to replace Holicek. 

Capello is similarly a diminutive, quick-footed, technically tricky customer with a lovely ability to carry the ball and create separation in accelerating out of tight spaces with short, sharp, energetic bursts. He is particularly good at getting shots off quickly, with low back lift and he is a good ball-striker. 

His most effective work has come off the left-hand side for The Shaymen as a winger, whereby he has utilised his good close control, dribbling ability and efficiency in attacking space to beat players 1v1. He has accurate delivery from wide areas and he is a clean ball-striker when positioned centrally, and so Capello can provide options for The Railwaymen across the front three positions behind the striker. 

As a replacement for Holicek, I think that he is perfect and so in the short-term provides them with good depth in any of those attacking midfield positions. Holicek’s real strength is in being able to riggle his way out of tight spaces in central areas and then carry the ball towards the penalty area, and this is what Capello is good at. He is technically strong, the composure to play out, and his low centre of gravity allows him to cover ground efficiently. While he has played much of his football off the left with The Shaymen, I feel that he has got the technical game such that he could be used more centrally for The Railwaymen. 

One of the advantages that I feel you get in signing Capello is that while he has the technical quality to open teams up, the wide player is defensively strong and has a high work-rate off the ball. In a Chris Millington side that was built on being defensively stout and having the pace and running power to play counter-attacking football, Capello made that left-hand side his own. He has been used as a wing-back on occasion and so provides that versatility for Lee Bell. 

The Belize midfielder is someone that I have tipped for a move into the Football League a number of times, and I think that this summer represents the right time for him to finally move on from The Shay and take that next step.

Iwan Morgan (Brentford – loan)

The final player on this list that I think Crewe Alexandra could look at signing during the summer is youngster Iwan Morgan. Morgan is a player that The Railwaymen will have knowledge of, given that he finished the 2025-26 campaign on loan at fellow League Two side Shrewsbury Town. Going into the new season, I feel that the young forward could well be an interesting loan target for The Railwaymen to sign and so if I am in Lee Bell’s shoes then I am going all out to try and secure his signature. 

The key for The Railwaymen this season is going to be about again finding value in the loan market. Last season, Lee Bell was able to sign Alfie Pond, Emre Tezgel and Tommy O’Reilly on loan – all of which impressed during their time playing at Gresty Road – and their additions complemented the existing group well. Given how well their loan players performed last year, I think that Lee Bell will have earned himself – and indeed that of his side – a good reputation for young players to go and play, and so will be looked upon favourably. 

Morgan only spent a brief time with Shrewsbury Town last term, yet I saw flashes of a player that I really liked. The youngster managed to get three goals in just under half the season for a struggling Shrews side, and while that in itself is certainly not needle-shifting numbers there were signs in his game that I feel were quite nice. Indeed, over a full campaign at the level and under a good coach, I think that the Welsh youngster could be quite an exciting addition for The Railwaymen. 

In terms of his profile, I feel that Morgan represents the ideal profile to replace Emre Tezgel given they have very similar skillsets. Morgan has a high intensity in his pressing from the front, makes clever runs off the back of defenders and has a nice turn of speed, and despite being fairly inexperienced at first-team level plays with a real maturity and intelligence with the way that he is able to link the play and use his body. 

In many ways, I actually think that he represents a nice middle ground between the intricacy and craft of Tommy O’Reilly in those wide half-spaces, and the energy and athleticism of Emre Tezgel. The pair of them were super during their time at Gresty Road, and so adding a player of Iwan Morgan’s profile goes a long way as to giving them same qualities in the final third. The youngster shows neat footwork in tight spaces, and is clever in dropping short and facilitating runners in behind him. He is a good ball-striker, a delicate weight of pass and a strong work-rate in running the channels, forcing errors and closing players down. 

The young forward is on the books of Premier League side Brentford, and he was in prolific form with The Bees prior to joining Shrewsbury Town. He has good pedigree, having been capped by Wales at youth level internationally. He also spent time in the academy at Cardiff City and Swansea City.