2026-27 Recruitment Plan for Peterborough United

Player Decisions

Retain

Alex Bass, Carl Johnston, James Dornelly, Harley Mills, David Okagbue, Sam Hughes, Rio Adebisi, Lucca Mendoca, Matt Garbett, Ben Woods, Pat Sykut, Brendan Khela, Kyrell Lisbie, Pemi Aderoju, David Kamara, Harry Leonard

Release

Archie Collins, Tom Lees, Jacob Mendy

Sell

Cian Hayes, Declan Frith, Donay O’Brien-Brady, Abraham Odoh, Klaidi Lolos, George Nevett, Chris Conn-Clarke, Brad Ihionvien

Loan End

Jimmy-Jay Morgan, Peter Kioso

Retained Squad

New Signings

Lucien Mahovo (Norwich City – loan)

The first player that I have picked out for Peterborough United to sign during the summer is youngster Lucien Mahovo. That left-back berth has presented quite a few problems for The Posh throughout the 2025-26 campaign, and so I think that they need to try and find the right option to be their starting left-back going into the new campaign. 

In terms of the skillsets that I would typically look for in a full-back and in particular the way in which Luke Williams wants to play, Lucien Mahovo is a good stylistic fit. A very attacking full-back. Incredible energy and athleticism. Always looking to try to get forward on the overlap and provide an option in transition. Playing forward. He is quick. Agile. A strong runner. Luke Williams often looks for attacking output from his full-backs, and I think that Mahovo has got the skillsets to thrive in an attacking capacity. 

One of the advantages of this suggestion as a prospective signing for The Posh and one of the reasons as to why I think it will – or at least could – happen is that Mahovo is a player that Posh manager Luke Williams will already have knowledge of. Mahovo came throughout the academy with Notts County and progressed through into the first-team prior to his move to Carrow Road, and so they could take advantage of that existing connection in getting the deal navigated successfully. 

By way of the fact that Norwich City will be going for promotion from the Championship next season and that The Canaries have already got some good options at their disposal that are ahead of Mahovo in the pecking order, I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see the youngster depart the club on loan to get regular games under his belt and continue his development. If that does happen, I feel The Posh should be all over him.

Luke Mbete (Manchester City – loan)

Looking at this Peterborough United side subjectively as a neutral, I don’t think that the level of defenders across the board is good enough for where The Posh want to be competing (the top seven) in 2026-27. I feel Sam Hughes represents a credible option, but I feel that he needs a partner alongside. 

One player that I would be looking at if I were in The Posh’ shoes is youngster Luke Mbete. He is no stranger to the level having enjoyed loan spells with Northampton Town, Bolton Wanderers and Huddersfield Town and so has got an appreciation for the physicality and intensity of first-team football. 

As a profile, I think that finding a player of Luke Mbete’s all-round skillsets is extremely difficult and so represents a bit of a ‘unicorn player’. He is left-footed. A good size. Comfortable on the ball. Quick and mobile. Can step into midfield, and can defend wide spaces. He has got a good footballing brain. An incredible athlete. I feel that he represents a really nice project for a good coach such as Luke Williams and so could be a smart loan capture.

He is capable of playing centre-back or left-back, and so for playing left centre-back in a Luke Williams side I think he represents a good stylistic fit. Luke Williams likes his full-backs to bomb on and get involved in the attacking play, and so therefore there is a responsibility for the centre-backs to cover across and defend the channels, have the composure in playing out, and have the speed to track runners from deep. 

The 22-year-old is unlikely to force his way through into the first-team at Manchester City, and so I expect him to depart the football club on loan. If The Posh can agree a deal for him, I think it would be a good pick-up.

Max Sanders (Crewe Alexandra – free)

One area of the pitch in which I feel The Posh need to do a bit of work going into 2026-27 is the centre of the park. With Archie Collins leaving the football club, there is an obvious hole to fill. Given how influential Collins was, I don’t think that will be an easy task. One option that I think they could look at as a replacement is Crewe Alexandra’s Max Sanders. 

In terms of a profile, Sanders has got the all-round profile to be a versatile midfield. He is strong technically, possesses a good range of passing, and has got the intelligence to play through the press effectively. His ability to receive the ball under pressure makes him ideal for playing as a deeper-lying midfielder, sitting in front of the back four and dictating the tempo of a game. Producing clever one-two’s and effective use of the ball, Sanders’ ball-playing qualities seem a good stylistic fit for the way Luke Williams wants his sides to play. 

Equally, I feel that Sanders is capable of playing as more of an advanced midfielder. A good engine, powerful and a really intelligent operator. He is the type of player that – if played closer to the opposition goal – has got the game intelligence to pick the right pass, be incisive in playing into the front players and has good decision-making. 

Sanders has played at League One level before with spells at Lincoln City, AFC Wimbledon and Leyton Orient, and so I am confident that he is capable of making that step up into the third tier again this summer. 

While he has been a little bit under the radar with The Railwaymen behind the likes of Tommi O’Reilly and Emre Tezgel, Sanders has played 37 times for Alex Bell’s side in the league this term and has a combined eight goal contributions to his name. Hugely experienced at the age of 27-years-old, Sanders is someone that has been one of the best performing midfielders at the level in my opinion over the past 12-18 months and I think that he is capable of stepping in the role that Archie Collins has done at the base of midfield. 

He is out of contract at the end of the campaign with The Railwaymen, and given that they’re not the biggest of financial hitters in League Two and missed out on promotion then I think they may well find it difficult to keep hold of players like Sanders. He provides The Posh with a cost effective option and one that brings experience to their squad, and I feel that under a top coach in Luke Williams he can be a real success.

Tyrese Hall (Tottenham Hotspur – loan)

One area in which I think The Posh have lacked this season is an attacking midfielder that can create from open play. One option on the market that I feel should be worth consideration having enjoyed a successful loan spell in 2025-26 for Notts County in League Two is Tottenham Hotspur youngster Tyrese Hall.  

For playing as a #10, I think that Hall represents such a nice all-round profile. One of his major strengths is in showing the close control and technique in manipulating the ball in tight spaces, and then having the agility, speed and acceleration to create separation from his marker. Luke Williams wants his side to play quick, front-foot, attacking football, and so I think Hall would provide The Posh with the type of transitional threat they are looking for. 

In terms of the attributes I would commonly look for in a #10, I think that Hall is so intriguing. He is wonderfully elegant ball-carrier. Aggressive his running. Capable of pressing with intensity and energy off the front. He is incredibly incisive and direct in attacking space. He has the low centre of gravity and speed such that he is able to pivot his way out of challenges in congested areas, and so tends to operate more centrally whereby he can negotiate that half a yard in which to get a shot off. 

I think that Peterborough United should run with a more streamlined squad going into 2026-27 and with a greater focus on quality over quantity, and ideally a smaller squad. I believe that Hall provides a durable option for The Posh in giving them value for money given that he is capable of playing in a number of midfield roles. While he is predominantly an attacking midfielder, he can equally play as a #6 or a #8. 

After playing for The Magpies in League Two this term, I think that next season should see the youngster go and test himself physically at a higher level and so that would necessitate signing for a club in League One. The youngster has done well in League Two for The Magpies with a return of seven goals across 31 matches, and so I think that he is more than capable of making that step up.

Kelly N’Mai (Salford City – free)

I initially had Kyrell Lisbie’s brother Kyreece as an option for the wide areas. However, the one option that I settled on as a potential target for The Posh is Salford City’s Kelly N’Mai.

One of the major attractions – I feel – as to why I think N’Mai might be a good option for The Posh to sign is that he is out of contract at the end of the campaign, and so is available for nothing. Darragh MacAnthony often prefers to favour signing players for minimal outlays or utilising the loan market – as one of the better run clubs in the EFL – and so the fact that they could capitalise on N’Mai’s contract situation to get a player for a much reduced fee below their realistic worth represents good value for The Posh. 

The main reason as to why I think N’mai would be a good fit for playing under Luke Williams is his strengths in ball-carrying and his low centre of gravity. The Posh are a side who want to get the ball down and play, and I expect that opposition sides might look to set up in a low block against them next term. In the same way that Williams’ relished having a proficient ball-carrier in Aaron Nemane in his side who could break through a press, I think N’Mai represents a similar profile. 

In terms of his profile, N’Mai is a quick, direct, diminutive attacker that likes to play off the right-hand side. Isolate defenders. Attack space. Work the ball inside and drive at the opposition. Given his size, he has got that quick change of direction and he uses that effectively in being a proficient dribbler of the ball. 

Salford City will want to keep him going into next season, but I think even they will admit – or at the very least appreciate – that the likelihood of that is slim. He had a lot of reported interest during the January window for his services, and so I expect him to move on. If he does, I think that going into a club who have shown to be one of the best developers of young talent in providing them the pathway to go and springboard their career makes for a good destination.

Jayden Fevrier (Stockport County – loan)

Another wide player that I think The Posh should look at as a potential signing during the summer is Jayden Fevrier. A player that finished the 2025-26 campaign on loan at Championship Charlton Athletic, I feel that the youngster could be a really exciting option for Luke Williams. 

The 23-year-old has featured sparringly for The Addicks this term in a rather unique deal in signing for them on loan from League One Stockport County. It remains to be seen as to whether or not he will get an opportunity to play next year for The Hatters, but I feel that the youngster could be one that – with a year left on his deal – County may well wish to let leave the club again next term. 

If that is the case, I think that Fevrier represents a good option for The Posh. Capable of playing on either side of the pitch, he couples physicality, pace and power with that frame to protect the ball in the carry. The Posh have got some good technical players in their side, but Fevrier is one that provides more of a physical presence and the aggression in his attacking play that can be a huge threat. 

I feel that his most effective position is playing off the right-hand side and cutting onto his left foot. Keeping the width. Isolating full-backs. Standing them up and driving into space with his speed. He is left-fotted, and so also offers Luke Williams the ability to play anywhere down the left-hand side of the pitch. Including as a full-back. 

He is one of those players who I think if you can get him playing with that aggression and intensity to his game he can be a real handful, and so dangerous as an outlet in transition. Often from wide players you look at more technical types with the intricacy to unlock a door, yet Fevrier has got that size and stature to receive the ball on the turn, hold off defenders and the power to get shots off from distance. Luke Williams’ strength is in platforming players, and I would love to see what he could make of Fevrier in this system. 

If he is surplus to requirements with The Hatters and they are again willing to let him go, I think that The Posh should be all over this one. He is still only 23 years of age and someone I have got high hopes for, and I believe he would make for a really astute loan capture.

Jimmy-Jay Morgan (Chelsea – fee)

The final player that I have picked out for The Posh to sign is one that will need little in the way of an introduction given that he ended the 2025-26 campaign with The Posh; Chelsea youngster Jimmy-Jay Morgan. 

The Posh don’t often sign players for a big fee, and will instead look to sign younger prospects from lower in the pyramid, yet they have shown earlier this season the potential rewards they can get in doing the former by signing Harry Leonard on a permanent deal, and the youngster is particularly impressive. Personally, I think that an outlay on Jimmy-Jay Morgan at this point is one they can definitely get a return on in the future. 

One of the benefits of signing a player like Jimmy-Jay Morgan is that he ‘kills two birds with one stone’ given that he is versatile enough to play through the middle as a #9, and yet can play in behind the front as an attacking midfielder in a 4-2-3-1. Having that adaptable attacking profile within the squad is incredibly useful if The Posh are to run a smaller squad next term, and provides options for Luke Williams. 

With a pathway into the first-team with Chelsea seemingly out of the question at this time and unlikely to change any time soon, I think that a permanent move away from the club might be a sensible one for the youngster. Indeed, if I was advising the youngster then I would say that joining Peterborough United and getting regular minutes in a first-team environment will be hugely beneficial for his development. If he has a good spell, there is a realistic chance that The Posh would be open to letting him leave if they get an offer, and so it is a win-win.

An outlay on a player of Jimmy-Jay Morgan does – in my opinion – provide both short and long-term benefits. In the short-term in terms of giving The Posh a player that can be a difference in League One, and in the long-term a saleable asset they can turn for profit. If they are going to be competitive and pushing for promotion in 2026-27, I think this is the type of signing they need to be making.