2026-27 Recruitment Plan for Mansfield Town

Player Decisions

Retain

Frazer Blake-Tracy, Luke Bolton, Bailly Cargill, Regan Hendry, Kyle Knoyle, Harry Lewis, Nathan Moriah-Welsh, Rhys Oates, Deji Oshilaja, Will Evans, Louis Reed, Ryan Sweeney, Owen Mason, Lucas Akins, Tyler Roberts, Stephen McLaughlin, Anthony Nunez, Liam Roberts

Release

Jordan Bowery, Elliot Hewitt, George Maris, Victor Adeboyejo, Aaron Lewis, Dom Dwyer

Loan End

George Abbott, Joe Gardner, Oliver Irow, Jon Russell

Retained Squad

New Signings

Lewis Billington (Crewe Alexandra – free)

Mansfield Town have got one of the older squads in the Football League. If they are going to take that ‘next step’ to push for the top seven, I feel that this summer should be one in which we see The Stags make a bit of an effort to sign a few one of those younger, up-and-coming, long-term targets that can lower the overall age of the group. 

One player that I have been particularly impressed with when I watched them in 2025-26 and who I feel could be capable of making the step up is Crewe Alexandra’s Lewis Billington. The Railwaymen’s academy graduate has held down the right-back berth as his own this season, and has developed into being one of the best full-backs in the league. 

Billington represents a good stylistic fit, having played as a right wing-back for The Railwaymen, and so he has got an appreciation for playing in a side that employs a 3-5-2. 

For a wing-back, Billington is quite a unique profile given his size and physical attributes. He has got a good engine, and he makes effective use of his frame in carrying the ball forward. His size allows him to be strong in defending aerial balls forward, and is a diligent player that has been particularly well-coached in his positioning. He isn’t your ‘traditional’ flying wing-back in terms of his speed and agility to get ‘up and down’ the right flank, but in terms of being defensively stout and having an appreciation for the position then I think he is definitely a talented player. 

The way that Crewe Alexandra operates is that they graduate young players from their academy and – when the time is right, and the offer is good – they maintain willingness to sell on for profit. A sustainable model. While he is out of contract at the end of the current campaign, he would require a small fee I believe due to compensation as a result of his age. However, if they are to land him, I think that this summer is definitely the time to do it as they’d be getting a player of his ability for a much reduced fee on what it could have been if he were still contracted with The Railwaymen next year. 

He is one of the best young players in League Two, and so I think that he is the type of profile that The Stags should be looking at more to complement the experience they’ve got in the group. He will not be short of offers given his form over the last 2-3 years with Crewe Alexandra and his age, but I believe that he represents a nice project for Clough to work with.

Reece James (Rotherham United – free)

On the other side of the pitch, one player that I feel that The Stags should look at as a prospective signing is Reece James. While Rotherham United were relegated in 2025-26, James is one of few that I believe will come away with credit and still retain a fairly decent stock as a good full-back for the level.

One of the benefits that you get in signing Reece James is that he can play in a number of positions. One of Clough’s strengths in his recruitment has been in identifying players who are multi-purpose and can play in different roles. James is predominantly a left-back, however he can also play on the right-hand side, as a winger and in midfield. 

As a player, James offers energy and running from deep. The technical ability to get good delivery into the final third of the pitch. He is defensively strong and is perhaps more of a defensively-minded full-back than your traditional profile for that wing-back role. The Stags’ success has been on building an experienced squad with intelligence, defensive-stability and little risk taking with the ball, and I think James buys into this.

He is now 32 years of age, and having spent the last two seasons playing with Rotherham United he may well feel that the opportunity to remain in League One is a prospect may be of interest to him. I feel that he is definitely good enough to play League One football, and as a versatile and experienced option that has experience of being in successful, promotion-winning sides – having won promotion from League One twice – then I think he represents the perfect option.

Kamarl Grant (Millwall – loan)

One area in which I feel The Stags could strengthen during the summer is on the right-hand side of the back three. Ideally, I think they should identify a quick, agile, mobile, right-sided centre-back that can provide durability in defending wide spaces.

One option that I would look at given that I think it is the right level at which to pitch him and one that will likely be available by way of the lofty heights of his parent club is Millwall youngster Kamarl Grant. He spent time with Blackpool during 2025-26 having enjoyed a good loan spell at Bromley the season previous.

He has got an appreciation for playing on the right of a back three during his time at Bromley. He is quick, aggressive in his running, powerful and got the physicality to relish duels. This is one area (speed and mobility in the wide centre-backs) that I think The Stags could improve going into 2026-27, and so Grant represents quite a nice profile for what they need.

With Millwall looking to get promoted into the top flight this season, I think first-team opportunities will be extremely limited for the youngster next term. I believe playing top-half, League One football is where he should be playing his football, and so if The Stags can get him then I think it would be a good addition for them.

Joe Powell (Rotherham United – free)

While Rotherham United were relegated in 2025-26, one player who I still like when I have seen him play and who I feel can still provide a lot of value at League One is midfielder Joe Powell.

Powell is formerly of the West Ham United academy, and has played for Burton Albion and Rotherham United in League One. He is 27 years of age, and so represents a fairly experienced option for Nigel Clough. He has tended to operate with a largely experienced squad since he has been in charge of Town, and so signing a midfielder proven at the level with over 200 games under his belt provides the requisite tick in the box.

The Millers midfielder is a creative and technical ball-player that is positive in progressing through the lines, likes to get shots off and has real intelligence in and around the box. If The Stags move George Maris onto pastures new as I have indicated within they perhaps should as part of a slight freshen up of the midfield, I think Powell provides a more attack-minded profile.

In this Stags midfield, I can see him being used as a #8 with a deeper-lying midfielder behind him in Louis Reed that can get the ball and dictate the tempo, with a more physical option being combative against the ball and in Powell buzzing around with his energy, getting on the loose ball and providing himself as an option, and in creating in and around of the box.  He is a clean ball-striker, with good set-piece delivery and strong execution of technique.

With The Millers having been relegated, I think that he will be looking for an opportunity to remain in League One and I feel he has got a sufficient body of work to suggest he is deserving of such.

Jon Russell (Barnsley – free)

One player that I do expect with a relative degree of confidence about making a permanent move to Mansfield Town this summer having enjoyed a productive loan spell with The Stags in 2025-26 is Barnsley midfielder Jon Russell.

The Stags have got some nice technicians in their side with the likes of Louis Reed and Regan Hendry, and so I think that Russell represents the perfect foil for them. A big, industrious, powerful, rangy midfielder with a good engine, is combative against the ball. He has got a lovely ability to step onto the play and drive it forward from deep. He is an incredible athlete with a size and a presence, and he has been a welcome addition to the midfield department this term.

Given the financial powers and form of the two clubs, I think that signing for Mansfield Town is likely a more attractive proposition for the midfielder than re-signing with The Tykes. He was seemingly well-liked during his time as a Stags player, and the signs were good in terms of performance level, and so I think it is a bit of a no-brainer.

David McGoldrick (Barnsley – free)

When it was announced that David McGoldrick’s contract conversations were a bit of a non-starter with Tykes, that news will no doubt have pricked the attention of a lot of teams, including Nigel Clough’s Manfield Town. If ever there was a signing that screamed “Mansfield Town”, Clough signing a 38-year-old David McGoldrick certainly has all the hallmarks. 

While they would be getting a player that is nearly in his 40’s, McGoldrick is physically in perhaps as good a shape as he has been throughout his career. He is a model professional, and kept himself in such good physical condition to enable him to keep playing for as long as he has done. As such, it is no surprise he has shone for The Tykes this term and I maintain that he has got at least another year at League One level. 

He comes off the back a strong individual campaign with Barnsley in which he has scored 15 goals in all competitions for The Tykes. 

Even if he isn’t a guaranteed or indeed regular starter for The Stags, I think that he could still provide so much value for this Mansfield Town side. Having someone of his professionalism and application within the group can only be a good thing. He has ‘been there, done it and won the T-Shirt’ on multiple occasions, and been part of sides that have won promotion. Vast experience. The ultimate professional. Used intelligently, I think that McGoldrick can be hugely effective. 

Nigel Clough certainly has a penchant for the ageing, late 30’s, experienced, still high-flying signing, and so I don’t think it will come as much of a surprise if McGoldrick does end up signing for The Stags. He won’t be short of interest if he does move on from Barnsley, but I think Nigel Clough will be front of the queue to sign him.

Davis Keillor-Dunn (Wrexham – loan)

The final player on this list is one that will need little introduction to Mansfield Town fans given that he has previously played for the club: Wrexham forward Davis Keillor-Dunn.

In truth, I was a little surprised when Keillor-Dunn initially made the move to a top-end aspiring Championship side as Wrexham are. In my opinion, he perhaps is not quite at that level yet, and so it has perhaps not surprised me that he has featured only sparingly for The Red Dragons. Going into 2026-27 and as Phil Parkinson looks to trim his squad, it wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if Keillor-Dunn is one that gets made available for loan. 

The other obvious benefit if he – and the others on this list – were to sign is he would be re-uniting with David McGoldrick with whom he played at Barnsley. Having that relationship already there on which he can draw could be of real advantage to The Stags in providing them with the synergy in an attacking sense to be a more connected team. 

If he is allowed to leave Wrexham on loan, I don’t anticipate the 28-year-old will be short of interest in acquiring his services. He is the type of signing that could quite easily be the ‘missing piece’ offensively that so many sides at the top-end of League One could do with to potentially help them in getting over the line as a team. I think that Mansfield Town need to make those one or two ‘hero signings’ this summer to really elevate them from being a steady mid-table outfit – which they are currently – to one that can make a play for the top seven.

One of the benefits that I feel The Stags would get in signing a player of Davis Keillor-Dunn’s profile is that he offers versatility to Nigel Clough in the way that he plays. With Town operating a 3-at-the-back and predominantly a #10 in behind two #9’s, I think Keillor-Dunn is suited to either being used through the middle as a #9 or in behind as the attacking midfielder.

On the one hand, Keillor-Dunn has go the agility, pace and clever movement off the shoulder in running onto the end of through balls as we have seen him do so often during his time at Barnsley. The low centre of gravity and athleticism allows him to play on last line and looking to make moves to goal, and so I think that he would dovetail nicely with a more physical reference in getting onto knock downs.

Equally, I feel he has got the delicate weight of pass and intricacy that he can be used as an attacking midfielder, with license to run beyond the play, pick up clever pockets of space and get on the turn. I think he is particularly effective when working himself half a yard in central positions where he can get shots at goal, with his clean ball-striking and long-range ability providing real benefit.

If The Stags could get him, I think that could very well be the difference for them in going from a mid-table side to one that can not just compete for, but get in the top six.