2026-27 Recruitment Plan for Tonbridge Angels

Player Decisions

Retain

Ricky Korboa, Jordon Thompson, Bradley Williams, Bailey Akehurst, Tobi Omole, Bunmi Babajide, Kyle Smith

Release

Naz Bakrin, Jordan Higgs, Alfie Allen, Tom Leahy, Marcus Salbier, Matty Warren, Scott Wagstaff

Lose

Sean Shields

Loan End

Alfie Pavey, Noah McCann, Frankie Baker, Ethan Sutcliffe, Matty Rowley

Retained Squad

New Signings

Matt Rowley (Reading – free)

I always maintain that one of the hardest positions to find is a goalkeeper. Especially a good one. For Tonbridge Angels, they have tried a number of options in the goalkeeping department and yet have managed to settle on a successful pick in the form of Matt Rowley. 

With a pathway into the first-team with The Royals seemingly unlikely and the youngster himself out of contract at the end of the 2025-26 campaign, I think that Rowley will be looking to go and get a permanent move in the summer. I feel that it makes a lot of sense if he makes a return to Tonbridge Angels. 

The youngster has really impressed this term for Angels in his loan spell. He commands his penalty area fairly well. A good shot-stopper. Comfortable in playing out. The type of goalkeeper that strikes me as being hugely coachable, and fairly ‘stress-free’ in the way that he plays. He is fairly ‘no thrills’. Doesn’t take too many risks. I don’t feel it is a surprise that Angels have been as strong as they have been defensively with a player like Rowley keeping net. 

He has got a lot of future potential, and I feel that organising a permanent deal will be fairly straight-forward.

Byron Webster (Bromley – free)

After a season of consolidation at the level for The Angels under new manager Alan Dunne, I think that they should realistically go into the new campaign with aspirations of pushing for the top seven. If they are going to do so, I feel they may need those two or three ‘hero players’ to elevate the group. 

The defender is very much a veteran of the EFL. Now 39 years of age, and still playing – albeit not as regular – in League Two. He has been there, done it and got many T-Shirts. 

I am expecting that Alan Dunne will likely favour a younger profile of player in the summer, and so having that group of experienced players around that is going to be key. A player like Webster – even if he isn’t a regular – may well be invaluable for the off-field work in driving standards and upholding the professionalism. Not least in being able to nurture the top young players Angels have got. 

In this Angels side, I could quite easily see him playing 25-30 matches, perhaps as more of a secondary centre-back and rotation option, and to maybe transition into the world of coaching alongside former team mate and now Angels manager Alan Dunne. 

As a player, Webster is your traditional box defender. Great at the basics. Aerially strong. Organises well, and is a strong orator with good leadership skills. The type of player that will do the unfashionable work well, reads the game effectively, defends through good positioning and in dispossessing defenders, but not afraid not to mix it. With more of a young aggressor in Sutcliffe, Webster could play more of that sweeper role in organising the backline. 

From those that I had spoken to in a Bromley persuasion, the consensus was that Byron Webster will likely be let go at the end of the season or that he may retire, and The Ravens announced his departure earlier this week. Personally, I think that the offer of staying in the game, being part of a new project with Tonbridge Angels, under a coach he knows and with whom he has played before, at a level in which he is comfortably able to play may be of interest.

Ethan Sutcliffe (AFC Wimbledon – free)

The second player on this list that finished the 2025-26 campaign on the books of Tonbridge Angels, Sutcliffe is another young player for whom the expectation from those in Angels circles is that he will return in 2026-27. At the very least, Alan Dunne will try. Personally, I think it will happen. 

He enjoyed a successful loan spell with Angels from AFC Wimbledon, and given the progress that Angels made in the league with Sutcliffe at the heart of the defence then it is perhaps not a surprise that they would want to bring a young asset like Sutcliffe back to the football club on a permanent basis. 

The 22-year-old has really impressed me this term with his maturity. Good decision-making and reading of the game. He has presented himself as a surprisingly useful outlet from corners with a couple of goals. If The Angels are able to sign a player like Webster, I think he would represent the perfect mentor to a player of Sutcliffe’s credentials. 

With AFC Wimbledon competing in League One, I think that the chances of him getting first-team opportunities are going to be few and far between even with a good wind. If I was advising him, I feel that the opportunity to go and play men’s football at a good level and regular minutes is the right decision for his development.

Jaden Crowhurst (Sittingbourne – free)

I am always an advocate for sides – especially at this level – looking at players from lower in the pyramid, and giving them a platform to shine. That has previously – and should, I feel, going forward – remain critical to the way that Tonbridge Angels look to recruit in putting together a young and hungry side. 

One player that has always impressed me when I have seen him and who I feel is capable of making that step-up to Step Two and be a success with the right coaching is youngster Jaden Crowhurst. Out of the Southend United academy. Still only 22 years of age. For the last few years, he has drifted around non-league and yet never really worked and so would be a bit of a project for Alan Dunne. 

One of the major benefits to Alan Dunne in signing a player of Crowhurst’s profile is that he is technically proficient and intelligent enough to play in a number of different positions, and so offers versatility in how he is deployed. Predominantly a right-back. Capable of inverting into the base of midfield. He has even been used higher up as more of a winger. He is a three-in-one player. 

As a player, Crowhurst is the type that I really like. Wonderfully technical. Quick feet and clever close control in tight spaces. The slight frame and speed to be really effective in carrying the ball. The ability to change direction. The energy to cover ground quickly, and offering an option on the overlap. A capable crosser, and the intricacy and skill in finding passes through the lines. 

There is definitely room for improvement in Crowhurst’s game – such as defending diagonals and smartening up some of his defending – but at the age he is and the potential he has got then I would retain confidence that he can be a real success. He has a nice technical profile, came out of a good academy and gained experience playing in men’s football for the last few years. As an option to complement what they have got in the building, I think he is definitely worth a look.

Nino Adom-Malaki (Enfield Town – free)

While Enfield Town were ultimately relegated from the National League South, there were a few players that particularly stood out – in a positive light – this season. One of those was left-back Nino Adom-Malaki. 

Not only do I like this pick, but I also think this is a realistic and achievable target for a number of reasons. He has got experience in the league. He has played at Sutton United under a former team mate of Alan Dunne’s in Steve Morrison. He graduated through the academy at Millwall. He is a good age, and represents a useful project for them to work with. There is a lot to like, and the requisite ‘ticks in the box’ that The Angels would typically look for. 

In terms of the profile that I like in a full-back – and which I think The Angels need in their side – Adom-Malaki has some lovely all-round skillsets. He is a good athlete. The engine to get up and down. A powerful runner and efficient progresser of the ball from deep positions. He is quick across the ground, and always looking to get forward and contribute as an option on the overlap. He is a good size, and he uses that frame to attack space while protecting the ball. There are a lot of attributes there that can make him into the archetypal modern-day full-back. 

The 22-year-old will likely want to try and remain at Step Two for the sake of his own development, and from what I have seen of him this term then I think he has definitely warranted another opportunity. With the right coaching and in a system that plays to his strengths, I would be confident that he could turn into one of the best full-backs at the level. A definite project, but one worth taking a chance.

Roy Syla (Woking – free)

A big area of focus for The Angels is the midfield. One player profile that I think they should add into the midfield is a technical ball-player at the base of midfield that can get on the ball and dictate the tempo of a game. One option that I would look at if I were The Angels is Woking’s Roy Syla. 

Syla signed for The Cards midway through the campaign on a free transfer following his release by Brentford. The youngster has featured sparingly for The Cards since signing, having made only 9 appearances in Woking colours since signing for them. With Dale Gorman making a return to first-team reckoning after injury, Syla has had to take on a largely watching berth. Given his age, he needs to go and get games under his belt and so I do expect that he may look to try and find a new opportunity in which to get regular minutes. 

In terms of the type of player that he is, Syla is a technical operator. A lovely engine. Physicality against the ball. The aggression in his game to turn over the ball and win the ball back. One thing that I particularly like about Syla is that he has got that tenacity to his game such that he is more of your ‘traditional’ deep-lying midfielder in terms of doing the defensive work and in screening the back four, yet he has also got that technical quality and vision to get attacks going. 

It remains to be seen whether or not Syla gets another deal with the National League side, however in the event that he doesn’t then I think he could be one for Tonbridge Angels to have a look at. He has had a good technical grounding with Brentford, and is technically strong, and I feel that he would be a good addition to provide them with the control that they have perhaps lacked at times this season.

Siju Odelusi (Sutton United – free)

One profile that I think Tonbridge Angels should look to sign during the summer is a physically imposing, box-to-box midfielder. One player that has had a quiet 2025-26 yet someone that I maintain is a good player for the level is 27-year-old Siju Odelusi. 

Odelusi spent time on loan at Dover Athletic earlier this season, and has previously played at the level for Aveley. It is with The Millers in which the midfielder particularly impressed and so it wouldn’t surprise me – in the event that they get promoted to the level – that Danny Scopes takes a look at him for Billericay Town. 

In terms of his profile, the midfielder is a powerful, rangy, imposing midfielder. He is the type of player that will step onto the play from deep, utilise his long-legged running style in driving the ball forward and getting his team up the pitch. For a team that is fairly direct, Odelusi offers a really good outlet in positioning himself in the half-spaces in that initial build-up as an aerial reference. I think that he is at his most effective when he is given the license to get forward and crash the box. 

Sutton United have got a lot of work to do this summer if they are to be competitive at the top end of the National League, and so I am expecting that Chris Agutter will go through a fair bit of turnover. Having seemingly been surplus to requirements this season, I am expecting that Odelusi will be one that is allowed to depart Gander Green Lane. If that is the case, I think that he would represent a clever piece of business for Tonbridge Angels. 

I think that he is the type of player that Tonbridge Angels should have been signing more of last summer. Still hungry and with a point to prove, yet has got experience at the level and represents more of a reliable profile for the division rather than solely signing players to step up. He is 27 years of age, has a good few seasons at the level in which to draw upon, and still represents a bit of a project for Alan Dunne to work with. Despite the fact he has not ripped up any trees in 2025-26, I feel he is a good player and if they can use him correctly in the way Aveley did then he can be a success.

Makai Welch (Leyton Orient – loan)

The third midfielder that I would look at is Makai Welch. Currently on the books at League One Leyton Orient and having spent the 2025-26 campaign on loan at Hornchurch, the youngster will unlikely get first-team opportunities next season and so he will be looking to go and get first-team football under his belt. I feel that Tonbridge Angels could be a potential destination for him to get that. 

As a player, Welch is a hard-working, energetic midfielder. An incredible ability to press aggressively on the front foot and the mobility to get around the pitch in snapping into challenges, the youngster covers ground really well. Quick. Agile. Incredibly athletic with his dynamic runs. I think that he is the type of player that can be used as a ball-winner in a deeper role, or in a more advanced position in terms of getting beyond the play and driving the ball forward.

Given the position in which Hornchurch finds themselves, there is a good chance that they might be a National League side next season. If Daryl McMahon is being critical, I think that he may well look to bring in a better quality of midfielder than Welch to go alongside the regulars in Wraight and Rees, and so Welch – despite having done well on loan – might be one that McMahon opts against signing. 

The youngster offers a bit of a project for Alan Dunne given that he has played in the league before, and I really like his overall profile. If they sign a technician in Syla at the base and a box-to-box powerhouse in Odelusi, signing a smaller, nippier, more athletic, pressing midfielder in Makai Welch complements them fairly nicely. He has come out of an EFL background and has been well-coached, and I think that he would be a good pickup for them, be it on loan or on a free transfer.

Kai Enslin (Charlton Athletic – loan)

One area in which I feel Tonbridge Angels need to address during the summer is the wide attacking areas. One player that has impressed in 2025-26 in a loan spell with Dorking Wanderers and who I think could represent a smart loan capture for The Angels is youngster Kai Enslin. 

Enslin provides some of the qualities that I feel Angels are missing. He is an elegant, skilful, two-footed ball-carrier that looks to take on players. Weave in and out of challenges. Predominantly left-footed, but playing off the right-hand side and looking to fashion the chance to cut in. Glides past defenders. He is very much in the profile of a Cole Palmer type, with the short, sharp touches of the ball and the ball manipulation in tight areas. 

While he showed good technical attributes with Dorking Wanderers, there were definitely areas in which he could improve and so it wouldn’t surprise me if Enslin was again sent out on loan to the National League South next season. If that is the case, I think Enslin would be interested in joining a side very much on the up, playing under a top coach who affords opportunities to young players.

Benny Bioletti (Ramsgate – free)

I did a piece on Tonbridge Angels last season and profiled Benny Bioletti as one that I felt The Angels should go for. Fast forward 12 months, I maintain a vested interest in Bioletti being a credible candidate for Angels and think that he should make the step-up during the summer. 

I remember watching Bioletti years ago for Ramsgate in the FA Cup against AFC Wimbledon, and the youngster particularly impressed on that occasion. A fearless, direct, transition-heavy, tenacious bundle of energy off the right flank that looked to take on his man and attack space in behind. I have been perhaps a little surprised that he hasn’t made that next step in his career, but I think he should. 

The youngster is still only 21 years of age, and I have no doubt that he will have benefitted from having been in and around first-team football at such an early age. Useful minutes for his development. Playing in both good and bad Ramsgate sides. That will have been useful for improving his game. 

He is definitely in need of a bit of coaching to harness his qualities and platform them in the right way, but I do think that he represents a really attractive profile for an attacking player. Tonbridge Angels have perhaps lacked that final third quality in 2025-26, and I think that they could do with adding a little more risk and variety to their forward line. Bioletti is the type of player that will take risks, play on the front foot and take the game to the opposition. 

The former Colchester United academy player is a diminutive customer, but has got an incredible work-rate, a proficient presser, strong dribbler and has got the confidence to carry to goal. He gives Tonbridge Angels a different profile to what they have currently got in the building in terms of a more raw, off-the-cuff, slightly unpolished wide player. If they can get him, I feel he’d be a good signing.

Lennon Peake (Ebbsfleet United – free)

One avenue in which Tonbridge Angels should look to utilise in the summer is signing players that are perhaps surplus at fellow National League South clubs, albeit that they can develop and get more out of. One player who fits that bill and I think is quite a nice profile is Ebbsfleet United’s Lennon Peake.

Peake has not featured much for Ebbsfleet United, perhaps understandably given that they don’t use ‘traditional’ wingers under Josh Wright and more so set-up in a system with wing-backs. I don’t feel that reflects poorly on Peake, but more so that they have opted to go with a system that doesn’t quite play to his strengths. In an Angels side that do use wingers, I think he would be a better fit.

He is a player that I first saw when he was at Hornchurch, having signed for The Urchins fresh out of being released by West Ham United.

Peake couples good athleticism and physical attributes with the intricacy to play in tight areas. A fairly balletic and rangy carrier of the ball. Speed. Very direct in his running. Creative in possession with good close control and quick  feet in and around the box to work shooting opportunities. He naturally operates off the left-hand side, and will look to drive the ball inside and get shots off.

He is still only 23 years of age, and so he represents a lovely project for Alan Dunne to work with. Physically, he has got the attributes that you want from a wide player. I would like to see him develop that bit of personality and aggression to his game, but he is good technically having come out of a strong academy system and if Dunne is able to platform him correctly and keep him fit then Angels have got a top player there to work with.

Given that Josh Wright’s men fell short in 2025-26, I am expecting there to be an increased scrutiny on trimming the squad in the summer and so Peake is definitely one that I can envisage being let go on a free. If he is, I would be all over it if I am Alan Dunne. Especially if they lose Sean Shields and having already lost Scott Wagstaff, a player of Peake’s profile off the left-hand side represents smart business.

Alfie Pavey (Bracknell Town – free)

The third player on this list that I think Tonbridge Angels will look to re-sign going into the summer having ended the campaign with Alan Dunne’s side is Alfie Pavey. While his loan spell hasn’t exactly been free-scoring, those that I speak to in an Angels persuasion seem to think that the likelihood is he will be an Angels player next season with Dunne’s side. 

He has been surplus to requirements with Bracknell Town this season, and so I don’t envisage that they will keep him on for 2026-27. With the striker likely to be released, agreeing a new permanent deal with the striker should be a relative formality given that it is an opportunity for him to play Step Two football. 

One of the major challenges with a player like Pavey is keeping him fit for the duration of a 46-game season, and he will definitely need Alan Dunne to manage him cleverly if they are to get the best out of him. 

In terms of his profile, Pavey is a tall and imposing striker that is your traditional penalty box #9. Operating predominantly between the posts. As his career has gone on, he has definitely adapted his game into being more of an intelligent striker that has clever movement off the shoulder, good anticipation of where the ball is going to drop, and in making good use of his body in bringing others into play. 

As I mentioned earlier in this piece, there are going to be a lot of players that Alan Dunne will likely sign that they have had to take a bit of a chance on and of a younger profile that they need to develop. If they are to have a successful season, I think that having a player of the experience, knowhow and divisional expertise as Pavey within non-league and in particular the National League South will be invaluable.

Cian Dillon (QPR – loan)

One player that I have seen a number of times and have always liked the look of, and who I think could represent a nice option to complement their existing options in the final third of the pitch is Cian Dillon. 

Dillon spent part of 2025-26 on loan with National League South side Enfield Town and so Alan Dunne will have first-hand experience – or at the very least an appreciation – of the youngster. He has also played at the level with Torquay United, and so he is definitely not a stranger to the sixth tier. If you looked solely at his output in terms of goals, he perhaps may not stand out. However, I think that he has got some really nice attributes. 

The youngster is that little ‘ratty’, pressing, high-energy type that dovetails nicely with more of a physical type. A willingness to run in behind the opposition. Get on the end of knock-downs. The ability to press from the front, force turnovers and in shutting off passing lanes. There is definitely physical development to happen in his game, but in terms of that diminutive type that can inject energy into the final third of the pitch. 

If he can channel those skillsets in the right way, I feel that there is a good player here in Dillon. He is out of a strong academy at Queens Park Rangers and has been capped by the Republic of Ireland at youth level internationally. Time with Shamrock Rovers back in Ireland. He is extremely highly-rated within City circles and has had a good technical grounding, and he strikes me as being the type that will work hard on his game. 

He may not initially be a starter with The Angels, but as an option that they can utilise away from home in stretching teams with his pace in behind and his pressing ability, I think he could provide value for Alan Dunne’s side. On a loan deal for the season and the continuity of staying with The Angels to properly knuckle down and concentrate on his development, I feel it is a good signing.

Jack Barham (Chelmsford City – fee)

The final player that I have picked out for Tonbridge Angels to sign is forward Jack Barham. Given he has another year left on his deal, the 30-year-old would require a fee. However, I think he would represent a smart investment.

The majority of the players on this list have been younger players that just starting out their careers – with the exception of notably Byron Webster – and so if Angels are going to compete at the top end of the league next term then complimenting that with some experience is going to be key.

In terms of his profile, Barham is the type of forward that a) I like b) I think would dovetail nicely playing off of Alfie Pavey. Barham is a smaller, nippier, energetic striker. Always looking to play on the shoulder, and making runs in beyond the play. Clever movement off the shoulder. A good appreciation for where the ball is going to drop. Strong acceleration off the mark. As a compliment, I feel he is a bit of a ‘nuisance’ striker that is always on the move, presses well, and got a lovely ability to just arrive in areas and pick up clever pockets.

One thing he definitely offers Angels is that ability to stretch teams. At times, it has looked a little bit static. Notably better with Frankie Baker at the top end of the pitch. I think Barham is more akin to Baker, with speed and agility to his game in always wanting to offer his team an outlet in behind. An element of Tonbridge Angels’ play is likely to gravitate towards being slightly more transitional in nature, and so Barham’s agility would be a useful fit for that.

Furthermore, I actually think that – considering his size – he links the play really well. He makes efficient use of his frame. Good close control. Quick give-and-go. He is intelligent, knows where to run and how to offer himself as an option, and he is incredibly diligent against the ball.

He has had time out with injury whilst at Chelmsford City and so hasn’t always had the chance to showcase what he is all about, but I feel that he has a super talent. A safe bet for goals at the level. A great professional, and type of character that Alan Dunne would want to build his changing room around. He has been in successful in teams at the level, played higher and boasts a strong career as a non-league striker to boot. As such, he represents more of a reliable, ‘ready-to-go’ type in lieu of the development, long-term focused additions.

The way that Mark Cooper has tended to play throughout his career has been in having strikers that are physically imposing and capable of providing the physicality to receive the ball into chest when playing out against the press. Barham is very much the antithesis to this, and so I think that he may well be one that The Clarets are open to tendering offers for. He has an infectious energy and positivity about him which I really like, he is incredibly hard-working, and I believe he would be just the type of forward addition that Dunne should go for.