2026-27 Recruitment Plan for Exeter City

Player Decisions

Retain

Jack Bycroft, George Birch, Pedro Borges, Louie Cayless, Jake Doyle-Hayes, Ed Turns, Jack Fitzwater, Ed James, Liam Oakes, Andrew Oluwabori, Johny Yfeko, Luca Woodhouse, Reece Cole, Charlie Cummins, Sonny Cox, Tom Dean, Frankie Phillips, Kieran Wilson, Liam Cartwright

Release

Jack Aitchison, Danny Andrew, Josh Magennis, Kevin McDonald, Jack McMillan, Ilmari Niskanen, Pierce Sweeney

Sell

Jayden Wareham

Loan Out

Liam Cartwright, George Birch, Louie Cayless, Kieran Wilson

Loan End

Ethan Brierley, Akeel Higgins, Ryan Rydel, Timer Tutierov, Joe Whitworth, Carlos Mendes Gomes

Sign

Gwion Edwards

Retained Squad

New Signings

Connal Trueman (MK Dons – free)

After seasons of having to play ‘loan roulette’ in the goalkeeping department, I think that this year we will see more stability in the #1 jersey. Jack Bycroft has done well during the second-half of the campaign, and I envisage that Bycroft will be entrusted to be the new #1 in 2026-27. 

The Grecians have got youngster Frankie Phillips on their books, albeit I think it is a bit too early – and indeed not wholly prudent – to be wholly reliant on the 18-year-old to be a #2. As such, I would be looking to try and add another goalkeeper to their ranks in providing competition to Bycroft and in supporting Phillips’ development. One player that I would look at as a potential signing this summer is Connal Trueman.

The 30-year-old finished the 2025-26 campaign with promoted side MK Dons. Despite his age, he has played for much of his career as a #2 – making just under 80 professional appearances across 12 years  – and so if The Grecians want to sign a player that is appreciative of the job of a #2 and who might be capable of filling that role then I think Trueman could well be a good fit for that role. 

With MK Dons winning promotion to League One and Trueman himself having already been used sparingly by Paul Warne, I am fully expecting that he will be let go this summer. Signing for The Grecians would afford him the opportunity to stay at the level that he finished the campaign, and allow him to nurture a promising, up-and-coming, young goalkeeper in Frankie Phillips. He might not be the ‘flashy’ name that is going to be a canvassing conversation of their aspirations long-term, but I think that in terms of providing value to this City squad it makes a lot of sense. 

At the very least, it would give The Grecians an experienced option on which they can call upon if required. I would say Phillips is probably – at the very least – 12-18 months away from being up to the level required to be a regular #2 within the Football League, and so bridging that gap with a goalkeeper that has played for a number of sides in the EFL and who represents a more ‘here and now’ ready solution for the job at hand is incredibly beneficial.

Personally, if I am in City’s shoes then I would be giving Trueman a 2-year-deal with the aim of providing them stability going forward – beyond just next season – for that goalkeeping department. Only strong loan relations has prevented the goalkeeping jersey from being a position of flux in recent years with re-signing a loan goalkeeper (in Joe Whitworth) and so I could see Bycroft, Trueman and Phillips being a good mix for 2-3 years.

Will Wright (Swindon Town – free)

While City are overseeing a fair bit of overhaul this summer, I am expecting that The Grecians will stick with the use of a back three in 2026-27 and so will recruit to that system. One player that I feel they should be looking to add is a younger, slightly more mobile, ball-playing, right-sided centre-back. One target that I would consider is Will Wright. 

Wright was let go by LeagueTwo Swindon Town at the end of the 2025-26 campaign, with the 28-year-old having 43 times in all competitions for The Robins. As The Grecians head into League Two, I think that it will be useful for them to try and add a few experienced players to complement a City group that will largely be youthful in its composition. Matt Taylor is going to have to take a chance on integrating a number of Under-23 players and back them to flourish in League Two, and so establishing a nucleus of players 27 years and older with a high volume of League Two minutes is incredibly useful. 

Stylistically, I feel that signing Wright is a good fit for The Grecians given that he has played in a successful back three at the level (at Crawley Town) and so he has got an appreciation for playing as a wide centre-back, having to defend wide spaces in the channel and I believe gives City an upgrade on what they had last term in Pierce Sweeney. While not his best individual campaign, he has also played in a back three with Swindon Town and so he is more than accustomed to that system. 

As a player, I think that Wright represents a really nice profile for playing as a wide centre-back. He is good on the ball, effective carrying out from the back and can function as an attacking outlet in wanting to step into midfield and get deliveries into the box from deep. He is a good size, suitably physical against the ball and covers space well. The Grecians tend to us more attacking profiles in the wing-back positions, and so having a player like Wright that is capable of covering across and engaging in foot races is key. 

Given that he finished the campaign at Swindon Town and spent the majority of his career in the South of the country, I think that joining Exeter City represents a good option for him geographically. I feel that he would jump at the opportunity of remaining in League Two by joining The Grecians, and so I believe it would be a clever piece of business for Matt Taylor.

Elijah Morrison (Bristol City – loan)

One area in which The Grecians will have to recruit smartly in the off season is at left wing-back. Fan Favourite Ilmari Niskanen has announced his departure from the club, and he is expected by many to join Wigan Athletic. As a potential replacement, one option that I would consider is Bristol City youngster Elijah Morrison.

Morrison finished the 2025-26 campaign on loan in the National League with Forest Green Rovers, albeit didn’t feature as a first-choice pick during his time at The New Lawn. Going into 2026-27, Morrison will be just looking to go somewhere that he can play regularly such that he can properly develop. Given that opportunity is unlikely to be afforded to him with parent club Bristol City, I think he will again be looking to get that luxury by way of a loan spell away from the club.

In terms of the profile that I would typically look for from a player to play in that wing-back role. An incredible athlete. Pacy. Powerful. A strong runner. Great energy to get ‘up and down’ the pitch, and a player who thrives in transition. He uses his body well with the physicality in defending the channel. He gives The Grecians that little bit more in terms of against-the-ball qualities that you’d look for in a wing-back in tracking runners and being good in the air. He also has the engine to carry the ball and attack space. 

I feel that Elijah Morrison definitely has some work to do in terms of the quality of his decision-making and making better use of his physical attributes in dominating defensive situations, but I am confident that there are some attractive skillsets there to work with. If City can platform him correctly, I think that he can be a real asset in playing a front-footed, transitional, attacking brand of football. The system that City play is always reliant on good wide players that can get forward, play high and provide an option on the overlap, and Morrison can do this. 

Indeed, I actually feel that Elijah Morrison would be better-suited to playing as a wing-back than as a traditional full-back as he did so with Forest Green Rovers. In order to get the best out of a player, you’ve got to look at what attributes they have and how you get the best out of them. In the case of Morrison, I think his best attributes are in working half a yard to attack space, drive at goal and progress the ball with his physicality. Freeing him up from as much defensive responsibility allows them the freedom to do this. 

Whilst The Robins will be managed by Michael Skubala during 2026-27 – a manager that has got a penchant for working with young players – I still think that Morrison will be given the chance to depart the club on loan. In truth, I think that is the best thing for his development. If The Grecians are able to agree a season-long loan for the youngster to come and be their starting left-back, I feel that would make a lot of sense.

Isaac Holland (Brentford – free)

One avenue that I think Exeter City could look at when it comes to signing a new player is Brentford. The Grecians maintain good relationships with The Bees, and so they may well try and take advantage of that pathway again in their recruitment this summer. One player that I would consider as a prospective addition and who I feel would be a really smart pick-up on a long-term deal is youngster Isaac Holland. 

One of the advantages that The Grecians have in their favour when it comes to potentially attracting Holland is that City have had a number of young players – e.g. Brierley, Yogane, Crama, Trevitt etc – that have made the move to St James’ Park and done really well during their time at the club. It is fair to say that The Grecians would have good references to give to Holland as far as his potential development is concerned, and the fact that they are willing to give younger players an opportunity to learn and develop. That is the exact environment that – if he does make a move elsewhere permanently – he needs. 

As a player, Holland represents a bit of a dual-purpose option. While he is predominantly a midfielder, Holland has played the majority of his minutes more recently with Brentford’s academy as a wing-back and so with the benefit of some physical development and the time to adapt to the demands and intensity of League Two then I could see a long-term future for him as a wing-back. He can play as a winger, centrally as an #8, as a wing-back and can play a little bit closer to goal as a #10, and so in terms of The Grecians being able to find themselves value for money in the market then I think Holland ticks that box. 

In terms of his attributes, Holland is described as being a “fast, direct and physical midfielder”. I think that playing off the right-hand side as a wing-back with license to get up in support of the attack, carrying the ball from deep and arriving onto the play is where you get the best out of him. He is an incisive runner, with quick feet, a good shot on him, technically strong and a powerful engine. 

Holland is one player that I think may well be let go by The Bees this summer if they can ensure that he is going to go into the right permanent environment, and St James’ Park has – in recent seasons – proven to be a fairly reliable home for their young players. He is out of contract at the end of the campaign, and so could be available to Exeter City on a fairly cost-effective deal if they can negotiate for The Bees to potentially forgo offering him a deal to mitigate the level of compensation they’d pay. Personally, I think it would be a really smart deal on his part and so if I were Holland I’d be pushing to join The Grecians.

Conor Lemonheigh-Evans (MK Dons – free)

Looking at the squad that City have retained, I feel they have got a very capable midfield core in the building in Jake Doyle-Hayes, Reece Cole and Charlie Cummins. Cole may still depart, but one profile that I would suggest they need to add to complement them is that slightly more attack-minded.

MK Dons may have let him go off the back of getting promoted to League One, but I don’t think that is any reflection on him and more so about the level of ambition that MK Dons have and where they are aiming for. They’ll be looking to sign Championship or top-end League One players, and – in truth – Lemonheigh-Evans is not that. As a League Two player, I think that the former Bristol City man is a reliable operator. A top seven attacking midfielder. The type of player that I feel is comfortably one of the more creative, technically savvy, intelligent #10’s in the league. 

In terms of his profile, Lemonheigh-Evans is a #10. He is at his most effective when operating between the lines on the half-turn. Intelligent movement in shifting the ball out of his path in tight spaces, and working half a yard to get a shot away. Despite not being the biggest, he makes clever use of his body in shielding the ball and is an effective ball-carrier. He is deceptively quick, covers ground well and has a lovely ability to arrive late into the box and get on the end of things. He is particularly dangerous when providing third man runs and getting beyond the play, and that is where I feel he is good as a #10 as he has got the variance to drop slightly deeper between the lines and pick the ball up or make runs off the shoulder and dovetail nicely almost as a second striker off a #9. 

Signing an attacking midfielder is an area in which I feel they are going to have to focus efforts going into the summer, as I feel this is the one area in which they could really add value. From Matt Taylor’s point of view, they need to use their budget wisely. They perhaps won’t be able to get that high-value, high-stock #9. Likewise, the top-end wingers are probably going to be out of their price range. I feel the value for City lies in signing that effective #10 that can drift wide and creative as a winger, but equally get the best out of the #9’s that they have in providing the intelligent service to pick a pass. 

Lemonheigh-Evans has spent a lot of his career in the South West, having come through the academy at Bristol City, spending a portion of time at Torquay United, and enjoyed spells at MK Dons and AFC Wimbledon. I think that his most likely next step will be in the South of the country, and it wouldn’t surprise me if the geography of playing for Exeter City is an attractive prospect for the midfielder. 

The fact that he has been released on a free transfer will likely make the midfielder a viable option for The Grecians to sign, and in terms of the available options on the market for that #10 role then I think Lemonheigh-Evans ranks highly. He will not be short of interest in his services, but I feel that if The Grecians can convince him to move to St James’ Park then they would be getting a top player.

Gatlin O’Donkor (Oxford United – free)

One area of the pitch that I feel The Grecians are going to have to do a fair bit of work in the off season in the forward area. One player that I have picked out before as being a credible candidate they should look at and someone that – this summer – I feel they could attain is Oxford United’s Gatlin O’Donkor. Released at the end of the 2025-26 campaign by The Yellows, I believe now represents a convenient time to make their move.

In terms of the skillsets that I would typically look for in a striker, I think that O’Donkor has got a number of requisite ticks. He is quick and direct. A powerful runner. Always looking to make moves beyond the play, and off the shoulder of the opposition of the backline. A lovely energy to always be on the move, agile and mobile. 

With The Grecians playing largely with a 3-4-1-2 system, I think that it favours them having a more traditional, out-and-out, physical #9 with an athletic runner alongside that is capable of running the channels and getting on the end of knock-ons. I feel that O’Donkor is a good fit for this, with the youngster suitably dynamic in his running and a nice turn of speed such that he dovetails nicely with a physical reference. One thing that I am a big advocate for is having forwards that are not static and always creating angles, and this is where I think O’Donkor can provide real value. 

When I watched Exeter City last season, I felt that outside of Jayden Wareham they perhaps lacked that attacking profile that wants to stretch the play and reach the byline. Gatlin O’Donkor is a good athlete, and someone that will keep making those runs and take risks. I feel that he is such a mazy dribbler that plays that little bit off-the-cuff that he can offer an option as a winger where he can isolate defenders and get them running back towards their own goal. Play him anywhere across the front and give him the freedom to roam and get on the half turn and I think you’re laughing. 

If I am advising Gatlin O’Donkor, I think that he needs to go and find a new permanent home whereby he can go and play some football. He doesn’t need to go and be a #2 somewhere and making fleeting appearances off the bench. He is 21 years of age, and has flitted around various clubs on loan over the course of the last two years at Barnet and Bristol Rovers. I feel that signing for a top-end, League Two side could well be a good level at which to pitch the youngster to go and play his football.

Courtney Baker-Richardson (Newport County – free)

With Josh Magennis departing at the end of the campaign, I think that The Grecians will be looking for a physical #9 that can provide the team with a platform to play off. One option that they could consider and who is available on a free after leaving his club at the end of the 2025-26 campaign is Newport County’s Courtney Baker-Richardson. 

One of the reasons as to why I like Baker-Richardson as an option is for the fact that he offers City a target man profile that can get the best out of what they a) have and b) can likely sign. They don’t have the financial resource to go and sign a striker on big wages that is going to get them 20-30 goals, but they could probably go and find one or two players who can play as a #10 that can get 10 goals each. As such, to facilitate that it requires finding the right striker that can provide the team with that base to play off and so I think that Baker-Richardson is a good fit for this. 

The former Exiles man is an imposing physical presence that is fairly effective with his back to goal in bringing others into the game. As an out-and-out striker that is going to run in behind and play on the shoulder, I feel that he perhaps lacks that speed and mobility to do so. However, as that type that is going to make it difficult for defenders, occupy centre-backs, be fairly industrious in his work, a little bit unfashionable, but fairly intelligent in bringing it down and laying it off. 

He isn’t going to get you a high return of goals in terms of 20-30 goals over the course of a season, but he has shown across a number of spells at the level that he can be a decent finisher if you play to his strengths that may be able to get in the 10-15 region with the right service. At the very least, he offers Exeter City some experience of the division and a player ready made for the challenge that is ahead of them in League Two. 

Baker-Richardson may not be the flashy type that is going to shift the needle for The Grecians in terms of his all-round game and being that 20-goal striker, but in terms of what he can offer the team functionally as a platform #9 that can bring others into play and do a selfless job for the team I think that Courtney Baker-Richardson could well be worth a look.