2026-27 Recruitment Plan for Notts County

Player Decisions

Retain

Jacob Bedeau, James Belshaw, Luke Browne, Matthew Dennis, Conor Grant, Beck-Ray Enoru, Matty Platt, Jodi Jones, Harry Griffiths, Alasanna Jatta, Mai Traore, Kelle Roos, Nick Tsaroulla, Scott Robertson, Lucas Ness, Lee Ndlovu, Matt Palmer, Maz Kouhyar, Lewis Macari, Rod McDonald, Ryley Reynolds

Release

Ollie Norburn, Jack Hinchy, Keanan Bennetts

Lose

N/A

Loan End

Tom Iorpenda, Jayden Luker, Tyrese Hall, Harald Nilsen Tangen

Loan Out

Ryley Reynolds, Mai Traore, Kelle Roos

Sign

Darius Lipsiuc, Cal Roberts, James Gibbons

Retained Squad

New Signings

Josh Gracey (Wolverhampton Wanderers – loan)

While James Belshaw has excelled upon his spiritual return to his boyhood club, I think that The Magpies will be looking to bring in a goalkeeper to provide Belshaw with good competition going into 2026-27. One option on the market that I like the look of that I think would be attainable for Notts County and someone that particularly impressed me when I watched him during 2025-26 for AFC Telford is youngster Josh Gracey. 

If I am in Wolverhampton Wanderers’ shoes, I think that there is a decision to make about what the best next step is for Gracey’s development going forward into the new season. I could quite foresee a situation whereby Wanderers want to try him out in League Two and go somewhere he is going to play, and I don’t feel that they will be wholly against Gracey being around the first-team environment. However, I think that The Magpies could put forward a good proposition for the youngster to land his signature. 

During his time with Kev Wilkin’s AFC Telford in the National League North, Gracey has impressed me with his agility off his line, willingness to come and collect, and the composure in playing out. In terms of the attributes that I would look for from a goalkeeper playing behind a three in this Notts County side, I think that Gracey ticks the boxes. He has good handling, claims well, an agile shot-stopper that gets down quickly, and can play. 

Despite only being 18-years-old, Gracey is a commanding figure standing at 6ft 4in. That said, I think that he will go to the next level in his game once he develops physicality to his game and bulk up to have more of a frame and a presence. I think that this will allow him to come and dominate attackers, be more combative and brave in coming for crosses and in batting away players, and if he is able to develop that then I feel he has got real potential. 

The youngster is only 18 years of age, and so I don’t feel that being a #2 to an experienced goalkeeper like James Belshaw would be too bad for his development. Belshaw has ‘been there and done it’, and is a good mentor for Gracey to learn off. The youngster is capped at youth level internationally for Northern Ireland, and so the fact that he can go in and be a #2 somewhere may well be better for both parties – particularly The Magpies – as Gracey can go away and represent his country while Belshaw is still #1. 

Given the form that he was in at The Bucks this year, I don’t think that Gracey will be short of offers for a loan move if Wolverhampton Wanderers do decide to let him go elsewhere this coming season. That said, I think that the opportunity to go and provide competition to an established goalkeeper should be an exciting prospect for the youngster and so I would be angling for a move to Meadow Lane.

Devon Matthews (Accrington Stanley – fee)

One area that The Magpies have got to try and focus their efforts in the summer regarding strengthening the squad is at centre-back. With Matty Platt and Lewis Macari both likely to be out of action for a fair portion at the start of the campaign, I think that signing at least one – if not two – centre-backs is going to be key. The first of those that I would look at as a potential addition to the group ahead of League One is Accrington Stanley’s Devon Matthews. 

The model that Accrington Stanley employs at the moment is reliant on investing in younger players – largely out of non-league – that they can develop and move on for profit, and so while Stanley would no doubt like to keep, I think that they would be willing to sell him. I don’t think that Matthews would be all that costly for The Magpies, and I feel that the 26-year-old would make for a sensible investment. 

One of the major advantages that The Magpies would be getting by signing Matthews is that he has got an appreciation for playing in a back three – with Stanley having set-up in a similar system to Notts County – and so he is capable of slotting into the County backline well from the off. 

In particular, I think that Matthews is a good fit for playing in this County defence in the centre of the three. He is a good size, aerially strong, aggressive in winning the ball, and someone that looks to engage with attackers physically. One of the things that I particularly like about Matthews is the fact that he has got the composure and balance to his game such that he can step into midfield and pick his passes, and so has got the attributes to mix it at both sides of the game. Especially playing at a higher level, I think that having that ability to be physically strong as an out-and-out box defender yet the technical composure to ‘play’ makes him such an attractive proposition. 

Indeed, I feel that he is a good stylistic fit for The Magpies given how they want to play. They haven’t been as wedded to a possession-based style under Martin Paterson and have been a little bit pragmatic, but they retain the principles of wanting to build up from the back and play through the lines. Signing a centre-back that can get involved in the first phase in playing into midfield and having the confidence to take risks in possession is well-aligned with that. I think that with better players around him and in particular better protection at the base of midfield, I feel he can be a real asset as a well-rounded centre-back. 

Matthews comes off the back of a strong campaign with Accrington Stanley in which he adapted seamlessly to playing in the Football League after signing from National League North side Curzon Ashton. Signing for The Magpies would mean that he has to again elevate his game, but I think that he is more than capable of that. He might not be the quickest, but Matthews has impressed me with the maturity in his defending and his work-rate off the ball. He reads the game well, positionally strong, and an intelligent player that works so hard on his craft. As a project to invest in, I think that the centre-back is worth a look.

Callum Perry (Coventry City – loan)

The second centre-back that I have picked out as a potential target for The Magpies to sign is another that finished the 2025-26 campaign playing in non-league in the form of Coventry City youngster Callum Perry. 

Like Devon Matthews, Perry is another that has got a good appreciation for the system that Notts County employ given that Rochdale similarly played a 3-at-the-back. With Rochdale, he played as the left most centre-back. 

In terms of a profile, I think that Perry represents a bit of a ‘unicorn player’ in that he is a player that I feel is often incredibly difficult to identify on the market; a left-footed, ball-playing centre-back. Indeed, I feel that he has got all of the attributes that you would typically look for in a wide centre-back. He is comfortable defending in wide spaces, can play out under pressure, suitably mobile, and is a strong 1v1 defender. He isn’t the biggest or strongest aerially, but he has got a clever use of his frame in defending. 

One thing that I would look for in a wide centre-back to play in this County side is being capable of stepping out into midfield, and Perry has that. He carries the ball efficiently, can start attacks from deep and is the profile of player that is more than comfortable making himself as an option as part of attacking phases in terms of being a makeshift left winger. If The Magpies are to get the best out of their system, they want to ideally get Jodi Jones as high and wide as they can and so that requires having a centre-back that is comfortable defending large spaces and in progressing the ball, and Perry is a good fit for this. 

While Rochdale will no doubt be looking at Perry as one they could re-sign going into the new season, I think that Perry will have a lot of offers and so it isn’t going to be a straightforward case of rejoining Dale. The fact that Jim McNulty has moved on from Rochdale following the end of the campaign may well have opened up other potential suitors for Perry if he was already thinking about going back to Rochdale ahead of their first season back in League Two, but I think that the opportunity to go and join a League One side and give himself a proper test could be a big attraction for the youngster. 

The young centre-back is highly-rated within Coventry City circles, and with City getting promoted to the top flight I think that the chances of him getting first-team opportunities are incredibly slim. He has signed a new deal with his parent club, and I feel that City’s plans for the youngster will be to let him go out and continue to play minutes in a first-team environment. After impressing in the National League, I think that signing a club that is going into League One this coming season is a good level at which to pitch him.  With injuries to two of their existing defenders, I think that the volume of playing minutes will be there for him and so a move to Meadow Lane represents a good option.

Ezra Carrington (Manchester City – free)

The next player on this list is a right-back in the form of Ezra Carrington. The youngster was let go at the end of the campaign by Manchester City and so is available on a free transfer. He might not be a household name for going into League One with, yet I feel that the 20-year-old could represent a clever pickup for The Magpies. 

The Magpies have already got a starting right wing-back in the form of Nick Tsaroulla, and so any signing that they do make on that side of the pitch is likely to be taking up the role as a backup option. The youngster is yet to get first-team minutes on a regular basis, and so he would be a bit of a gamble for The Magpies given that he is untested in the Football League. One thing they can guarantee is that they would inherit a player out of a top academy, has been well-coached, technically strong and taught to ‘play the right way’ with an efficient use of the ball. 

In terms of his attributes, I think that Carrington has got a number of ticks against the name for the type of player I would try to sign in that wing-back role. Physically, he has got a good engine, quick, a powerful runner, and the dynamism to get ‘up and down’ on the right-hand side as an option on the overlap. 

The Magpies are likely going to dominate the ball less than they did in League Two and have to be cute in playing out, and against better players and a more aggressive press I think you want the wing-backs to be technically strong, have quick feet, comfortable in playing out under pressure, and almost operate with the same intricacy as attacking players. The youngster developed a reputation during his time with Manchester City for being wonderfully creative in wide areas, with the attacking endeavour to progress the ball through the lines and the composure to take risks. 

The youngster will likely end up joining a side in the Football League, albeit it is difficult to know what league is the right level at which to pitch him. If he can develop physically and be a little cuter in his defending, I think that he has got the potential to be a top full-back for the level. With the former City man a free agent, I think that he could be a good option to provide something a little bit different in the wing-back berth to compete with Tsaroulla. If nothing else, he represents a good project for The Magpies to invest in. 

I don’t see any reason why The Magpies would look to replace Tsaroulla in the short-term, and so I feel that the signing of Carrington as a #2 would be a sensible move. He is very talented player in a technical sense and represents such an exciting profile, and I think that it would be a sensible move on Carrington’s part playing as understudy whereby he can develop organically, find his feet and not have the pressure of being a #1 pick. I believe that the youngster can provide good competition to Tsaroulla as a slightly more technical type as a wide playmaker, and so if I were in Patterson’s position I would be making a move for the youngster.

Leon Chambers-Parillon (Southend United – fee)

The Magpies have already signed a young midfielder on a long-term deal off the back of a strong season in the National League in the form of Darius Lipsiuc, and if I were in County’s position then I would personally re-visit that market to sign another midfielder in Southend United youngster Leon Chambers-Parillon. While The Magpies are stepping up into League One – a league in which the former Slough Town man is untested – I would be confident that the youngster is more than capable of adjusting to the step-up and as such is worth a look. 

In terms of what The Magpies are looking to add to the side, I think that Chambers-Parillon provides the requisite ticks. He is a big, powerful, industrious midfielder with an eye for a goal, efficient in carrying the ball with his long-legged, explosive running style, and is a player that will look to break the lines. I feel that his best position is playing slightly off the left-hand side, and this is an area in which he has excelled for Southend United picking up clever pockets in the left half-space whereby he can get on the ball, turn and drive the ball to goal. 

One of the benefits of signing Chambers-Parillon is that it provides County with something completely different to what they have currently got in the building. When identifying prospective signings, I always try to look at how they can complement the existing players and in Chambers-Parillon The Magpies they would be getting a player that has got the height and physical stature to complement the more technical, tricky, diminutive operators in Robertson and Palmer. As they step up into League One against better players, I think that having that greater physicality against the ball is going to be key and so for this reason Chambers-Parillon provides value. 

One of the other advantages that I see in signing the youngster is that he is capable of playing in a number of positions, and so he represents a composite option for The Magpies. He can play as a #8, he can play as a #10 and he has even been used as a makeshift left-sided wing-back during his time with Southend United. Personally, I think that he could be used much closer to the opposition goal as a secondary striker with the license to get beyond the play playing off a central #9 and so he covers a number of bases. 

The youngster has really impressed me during his time with The Rebels and even more so since signing for Southend United, and I feel that he is quite an exciting profile that has serious long-term potential. The Magpies’ model is all about finding younger players that they can develop and improve long-term with re-sale value, and I feel that the 24-year-old ticks those boxes. He will have a lot of interest given the form that he has been in and he has already reportedly been subject of a bid this summer, but if The Magpies can land him for the right price then I think he would be a good addition.

Fletcher Holman (Swindon Town – fee)

The final player that I have picked out on this list is definitely to be filed under the category of being the most ‘ambitious’ signing that The Magpies would make, but one that – having seen him live in the 2025-26 campaign, and on a number of occasions prior – I would personally be looking to make if in The Magpies’ position; Swindon Town forward Fletcher Holman. The youngster only joined The Robins last season, but I think that he would be worth a look for a permanent move. 

I watched Holman last season for Swindon Town, and he was the best player on the pitch on that occasion. Despite having limited experience in the Football League, the youngster played with a lovely energy and willingness to take risks. Always positive in his play. Taking the game to the opposition. Always looking to get on the half turn and drive at the opposition, and willing to commit players in running beyond the play and in driving in space. 

As a profile, the 21-year-old represents a good mix of skillsets. He is quick. Clever movement off the shoulder. A willing runner. He presses diligently from the front, and is particularly effective in forcing the opposition into mistakes with his energy and work-rate. I like strikers to be agile and with the mobility to create angles, and this is something that I particularly like in Holman’s game given that he is always on the move, offering himself as an option, and looking to drop into pockets of space to get on the turn. 

Holman is a good size, and is a superb athlete with the stamina and intensity in his running to stretch teams. He is a clean ball-striker, and an instinctive finisher. I think that his best work comes when playing off a physical #9 and buzzing around them and getting on the end of knock downs, and so in this regard I feel that he is a good fit alongside a target man in the form of Jatta. 

The one thing that I particularly like about Holman is the way in which he has developed over the course of the last 12-18 months. Having seen him play in non-league, Holman has notably matured as a player, physically developed, and looks more like a first-team pick that has got the attributes suited to the intensity of league football. He is strong, powerful, uses his body effectively, and has developed that little bit of an edge to his game which I like in forward players. 

If The Magpies were to land him, I think that he would cost a fair bit given that he is a good age, out of a strong academy, and off the back of an encouraging campaign at League Two. That said, if County are likely to have a windfall of a potential sale of Alassana Jatta to contribute towards the coffers to re-invest in a player further down the line, I think that the young forward could represent a sensible investment. He is only 21 years of age, and I feel that he has got the attributes to really kick on. It would be a statement signing if they could get him as I don’t feel that he will be short of suitors, but I think County could get him.