2026-27 Recruitment Plan for King’s Lynn Town

Player Decisions

Retain

Tom Dickens, Ross Crane, Rhys Doherty, Reece Hall-Johnson, Martin Woods

Release

Aaron Chapman, Paul Jones, Adam Marriott, Bailey Clements, Fletcher Toll, Tai Fleming, Theo Williams, Sam Collins, Jack Lambert, Will Van Lier, Festus Arthur, Cam Ford-Browne, Deji Sotona

Loan End

Simone Troso, Terry Bondo, Brandon Forbes, Harmony Okwumo

Lose

Tom Wilson, Morgan Williams

Sign

Josh McCammon, Jesse Nwabueze, Jahmari Lindsay, Ronnie Hollingshead, Zak Mills, Noah Rubio, Aaron Jones, Harley Hamilton

Retained Squad

New Signings

Giles Phillips (Hornchurch – free)

The first player that I have picked out on this list is a centre-back in the form of Giles Phillips. The Linnets already have Zak Mills, Tom Dickens and Rhys Doherty as centre-back options on their books, yet I think they could do with adding a more physically robust and imposing centre-back. As such, I feel that the former Urchins defender could be a good target for The Linnets to look at. 

Tom Wilson was the standout defender for The Linnets last term, yet he has announced that he will be on the move and is going to sign elsewhere this summer. Going into 2026-27, they have got to try and replace Wilson’s profile. While they have signed a defender in the form of Zak Mills that I am expecting will be used centrally – as opposed to at right-back – Mills is not that aerial aggressor that is overly combative in terms of winning the ball back, and so I think that the more physically imposing, no-nonsense type of Phillips is a better stylistic fit for what they are looking for. 

In terms of his profile, Phillips is an out-and-out box defender. He is not that cultured with the ball at his feet, yet in terms of providing physicality and aggression he is an uncompromising defender that looks to play on the front-foot. The Linnets ideally need to add a centre-back of the profile that can engage the opposition, be aggressive in winning the ball and robust against the play, and Phillips is that. He is an imposing figure, powerful, a good athlete, and someone that relishes contact. 

One of the attractions of signing a player like Giles Phillips is that he has got experience of being successful at Step Two. They have already added a previous promotion winner from the level in the form of Zak Mills, and so Phillips is another that buys into that. This summer has been largely about adding younger players with potential that The Linnets can develop, yet their success will be largely dependent upon strengthening the nucleus of experienced professionals with a good number of games under their belt at the level and so Phillips would definitely provide that tick. 

After leaving Hornchurch, I think that the likely next step for the centre-back is to get another club at the level and so King’s Lynn Town represents a sensible option. He is the type of player that I don’t think would rip up any metaphorical trees, yet someone that is ‘solid and dependable’ for the National League North. You know exactly what you are going to get from the former Urchins man in terms of aggressive, front-foot defending, and I feel that is welcomed within this Linnets side.

Gus Mafuta (Hereford – free)

Looking at the existing options that King’s Lynn Town have in their midfield, one profile that I would be looking to add if I were Paul Caddis is a physical ball-winner with presence and that can be combative against the ball. One option that I think they should consider as a potential signing is former Hereford midfielder Gus Mafuta. 

Gus Mafuta is a player that will need little introduction to Linnets boss Paul Caddis, given that Mafuta played under him when the pair were at Edgar Street. Given that Cadis is still fairly new to management, I don’t feel that he will have as extensive a contact base as some of the other managers at the level that are experienced and well-versed at the level. As such, I think that we may see Caddis look to utilise the relationship that he has already got with Mafuta in navigating a potential deal. 

The Linnets retained Martin Woods from last season, and they have already added livewire Noah Rubio to the group ahead of 2026-27. Woods is your metronome at the base of midfield that can play under pressure, yet Rubio is full of energy and running and can get beyond the play. Yet, they lack that more robust, physically-imposing, powerful midfielder in the centre of the pitch that can provide them with that extra aggression and physicality against the ball. Gus Mafuta provides the stylistic fit they are looking for. 

Mafuta is a ‘power house’ midfielder that is dominant physically, a powerful runner and uses his frame well in shielding the ball. He brings size and a presence to the midfield department, and I feel that is the profile they are missing. One of the criticisms that I had of The Linnets last term was that they perhaps lacked the aggression and physicality against the ball and that they were too easy to play against, yet Mafuta will disrupt the opposition and not allow them a moment to get on the ball and dictate. 

When I have watched Mafuta play at his most effective, I think that he is the type of midfielder that is going to dominate proceedings by sitting at the base, dictating play, give and go, and progressing the ball from deep. I feel that the best way to get him playing is to get that aggression into his game and play with purpose, and if you can do that then I think he is a very capable player for the level. 

One of the advantages that The Linnets get in signing a player like Gus Mafuat is that he is experienced. The Linnets have signed Noah Rubio, yet he is unproven at the level and the type of player that Caddis is going to have to take a chance on and develop. Mafuta is a proven operator – having played higher – and is a ‘ready made’ option. On a free transfer, I think that he is worth a look.

Rio Oudnie-Morgan (Ipswich Town – free)

One name on this list that will be familiar to Linnets fans is youngster Rio Oudnie-Morgan. The Tractorboys academy product spent time on loan with Town during 2025-26 when Ian Culverhouse was at the club, and he ended the campaign playing at Havant and Waterlooville. While he didn’t rip up any metaphorical trees with The Linnets, I would look at the youngster as a good project for them to explore. 

Oudnie-Morgan was let go by Ipswich Town at the end of the 2025-26 campaign, and so he is now available on a free transfer. As far as the level at which to pitch him, I think that Step Two of the non-league pyramid represents a sensible starting point for the youngster. He is yet to really find his feet at the level, yet I think that the National League North is a good environment in which he can go and play his football. Having spent time with The Linnets already, I feel that a return to the club – under a different manager – may be a logical option. 

In terms of his profile, I think that Oudnie-Morgan represents quite an exciting option for Caddis to work with as he has got a number of the requisite ‘ticks in the box’ that I would look for when signing a young player. He is out of a top level academy. He has good pedigree having been capped internationally by Northern Ireland at youth level. Physically, he has the size and frame such that he can handle the intensity of National League North level. He has been well-coached and strong technically. He is adaptable in which roles he can play – be it as a #10, out wide or slightly deeper – and receptive to learning. 

As a player, I feel that long-term Oudnie-Morgan is best suited to playing as a #10 in behind the striker. He perhaps hasn’t got the power to play wide and be aggressive in attacking space, yet he is technically strong, quick feet, a nice turn of pace, and agile enough to cover ground. I think that he is particularly effective when he can receive the ball in tight areas and drive the ball to goal centrally, and he arrives onto the play well. 

I think that the young midfielder is fairly proficient when it comes to shooting from distance, and so playing him as a #10 allows him to be in the right areas to do that. He is a clean ball-striker. Creative. Skilufl. He always wants to show for the ball, get on it and play forward. He is a little unpolished and there is definitely improvement to make in terms of his decision-making, yet he takes risks in possession, has a delicate weight of pass and always looks to play into the front. If they can coach consistency in that final action, I feel that they have got a good player.  

The young midfielder represents a good gamble on which to take a chance, and a nice project for The Linnets. I think that he has got a suitable degree of development, and if they can get him playing at his best and utilising his attributes effectively then I can see him playing higher and therefore providing Town with good re-sale value. He is only 20 years of age, and I feel that he would represent a sensible piece of business.

Andre Changunda (Peterborough United – free)

Paul Caddis has already signed a number of younger players that are unproven at the level with a view to developing them long-term as cost-effective, low-risk, high-reward, high potential assets for The Linnets. One player that I would look at having been let go by Peterborough United in Andre Changunda. 

Changunda would definitely be a signing to fall under the category of being a ‘gamble’ for The Linnets, yet I think that he is a calculated. I don’t expect that the youngster would be too expensive, and he would give Town something in their squad completely different to what they have got currently. I feel that he has got good underlying physical attributes, and the challenge for a coach is to be able to platform him correctly such that he makes best use of those attributes. He also needs to try and refine that final action and slow himself down before that final pass or shot, and if he can do that then I think he can be a real handful. 

One thing that I particularly like about Changunda is that he is very raw and unpredictable. The youngster is very unpolished and plays off-the-cuff, and while that lack of composure in the final third may put some managers off signing him I actually think that – if they can platform it right – then he can be a real handful for the opposition. He is a direct, quick, tricky attacking player that is really efficient in attacking space, 

He spent time on loan in the National League South last season with AFC Totton, and he perhaps didn’t get the volume of game time and minutes that he would have liked. However, if I were Paul Caddis then I would take a chance on him. While he might not be a starter to begin with, I think that having a weapon in the arsenal that can come on and provide that bit of ‘chaos’ that can open a side up. I would always look to have that one player in the attacking makeup that can offer that trickery and agile movement, and I feel he is quite an exciting profile. 

In terms of his attributes, Changunda is a quick, diminutive, powerful runner that has got lovely trickery and close control in tight spaces. He has quick feet, a drop of the shoulder and acceleration away from his marker, and he is particularly effective when operating on the half-turn and he can create separation with the efficiency and speed of his carries. The Linnets could do with adding that attacking player that is quick and direct in taking the game to the opposition, and so I think Changunda could well be an option to consider. 

I think that the youngster can provide options for The Linnets anywhere across the forward positions, be it out wide or played centrally. Personally, I feel that he is most effective when playing off the left-hand side making those out-to-in runs off the back of defenders and driving the ball to goal, yet he can equally effective when playing through the middle off of a #9 and utilising his pace and running power in stretching teams and providing an option in behind the play.

Kaiyne Woolery (Tranmere Rovers – free)

The majority of the business that The Linnets have done so far has been on the younger side, and so one thing that Paul Caddis needs to try and do is find those one or two more experienced faces to complement the squad. One player that he knows well and that I feel could be a useful addition on a free transfer is former Tranmere Rovers attacker Kaiyne Woolery. 

Woolery is the second player on this list that Caddis knows of having spent time with him elsewhere, with Woolery playing at Swindon Town alongside Caddis in the 2019-20 campaign. Since departing The Robins in 2020, Woolery has gone on to play for a whole host of clubs domestically and abroad, with his most recent spell being back with one of his former clubs Tranmere Rovers in League Two. He also spent time in Scotland, Cyprus and Greece, before taking up a short-term deal with Rovers last year in League Two. 

One of the benefits of signing a player like Woolery is that he offers the versatility of playing wide or through the middle. He is most effective when he is playing off the left-hand side where he is able to stand players up, isolate defenders 1v1 and utilise his physical attributes in attacking space. He is a powerful presence with an imposing frame, and he can be a real threat when on the turn and running at players as he is difficult to dispossess off the ball. 

I am expecting that The Linnets will sign a few younger and less polished players that they can try to develop, and so I think there is real value in signing a player with the experience of Woolery as a proven attacking operator. When I watched The Linnets last term, I felt that they lacked that bit of nous and knowhow in games and they had a fairly youthful squad, and so being able to add a few players who have ‘been there and done it’ is going to be key if they are going to have the requisite balance and personalities within their dressing room.

The forward is now 31 years of age, and so he definitely provides the requisite ‘tick in the box’ of experience. After being let go by Rovers, I think that Woolery may well struggle to find another opportunity in the Football League and so instead has to look lower in the pyramid for his next move. Given that Woolery and Caddis have already got a working relationship, I feel that Caddis could well utilise that to convince him to drop down in the National League North and sign a 1-year-deal with The Linnets.

Donovan Wilson (Dagenham and Redbridge – free)

The striker market is one that I think is going to be particularly difficult for The Linnets this summer, given that there are teams who are in a better position financially to offer prospective signings a deal than Paul Caddis’ King’s Lynn Town. One option that I feel they could look at who would be a clever acquisition to the forward line if they can get the best out of him and keep him fit is former Dagenham and Redbridge striker Donovan Wilson. 

Wilson has played extensively in the Football League, albeit now finds himself playing in non-league. That in itself is likely down to the fact he has had his injury worries, and while that could put some teams off making a move for him I think that could work in The Linnets’ favour. They likely won’t have the wealth of resource to go out and get a high-flying, ‘all-signing, all-dancing’ #9 that is off the back of 40+ games at the level. They may well have to take a chance on a bit of a gamble, and while I think Wilson would be that I think it would be more calculated. 

As a profile, Wilson is your off-the-shoulder type striker that will look to play in behind the opposition with a turn of pace and tricky movement. While he perhaps doesn’t have the explosive power that he once did, Wilson is quick and agile that will drive the ball directly to goal. If you are to get the best out of him, I think that you’ve got to be fairly prescriptive in the service to him in terms of playing the ball in behind for him to run onto, but he is a fairly clean ball-striker and instinctive finisher. 

The question mark surrounding Wilson is always going to be his fitness, and it is the age old adage that if they can keep him fit then I think there is a good player there. His goal return – despite perhaps limited minutes in recent years – has still been fairly strong, and so the challenge for Paul Caddis is being able to maximise the minutes that he gets and getting him into the fittest shape that he has been in his career. If you get that right, I don’t see why Wilson can’t be one of the top marksmen for the level. 

Wilson finished the campaign on loan at National League South side Bath City, and was let go by The Daggers. I feel that he won’t be short of offers as there is definitely a talented player there, but if The Linnets want a new #9 to lead the line for them then I think this is the type of profile that they should be going all out to land. He is still only 29 years of age, with good experience at the level and higher, has played in the Football League, and out of a strong academy setting. He might not be your big, strapping, aerially-strong #9, but as a goal-scorer that they can rely on then I feel he is worth a look.

Szhem Whyte-Hall (Worskop Town – free)

The final player on this list that I have picked out as a potential target for The Linnets to sign this summer is Szhem Whyte-Hall. The former Solihull Moors man was let go by National League North side Worksop Town at the end of the 2025-26 campaign, but I think that the youngster represents quite a nice profile. He would definitely be a bit of a project, yet if I am Paul Caddis then I would take a chance on him. 

The youngster is a player that I have watched a fair bit of during his time with Solihull Moors, and my assessment is that while at times he perhaps lacked the quality of end product and consistently in his decision-making there is a player that has got some good physical attributes and that there is potential there to work with. 

In terms of his profile, Whyte-Hall is a well-built, physically strong, athletic forward that is a powerful runner. I think that he is most effective when you play him slightly off the front and allow him to spin into the channels, stand people up and get on the turn and running at the opposition, as he has got a lovely turn of speed, is direct and will take risks in wanting to commit players in beyond the last line. 

One of the things that I would always look for when signing younger players is those with good physical attributes. When identifying potential targets, I would always look at players with the underlying physical skillsets and in turn concentrate efforts on technical refinement. I find that players are easier to elevate if they’ve got the physical attributes, as opposed to those with a good technical profile that need to develop that size and physicality. If I were Paul Caddis, the one thing that I would be looking to do with Whyte-Hall is develop that aggression and tenacity to his game. If you can do that, I feel that you get the best out of his attributes. 

He has proven at a lower level that he is a strong finisher with clean ball-striking, and I think if you can get him into the right areas with the right service then he can be that in the National League North. Playing just off the left-hand side and looking to make out-to-in runs direct to goal, Whyte-Hall can work the ball out of his feet onto his stronger right and get shots off at goal. 

Whyte-Hall is far from the finished article, and in many ways I think he still has to adjust to playing at a higher level than he was prior to signing for The Moors. However, if Caddis can get him playing in the right system, with the right players around, and playing to his strengths – plus the commodity of patience to grow organically, rather than the pressure of being a starter from the off – then I think he could be worth a look. He is still only 24 years of age, and I feel he might be a nice addition to the group.