2026-27 Recruitment Plan for Wycombe Wanderers

Player Decisions

Retain

Mikki van Sas, Dan Harvie, Jack Grimmer, Josh Scowen, Connor Taylor, Taylor Allen, Fred Onyedinma, Caolan Boyd-Munce, Jamie Mullins, Junior Quitirna, Brad Fink, Anders Hagelskjaar, Dan Casey, Aaron Morley, Ewan Henderson

Release

Will Norris, Laurence Shala, James Tilley, James Berry, Jack Matton, Finley Back, Stuart Moore, Declan Skura, Shamal George

Loan Out

Luke Leahy

Loan End

Nathan Lowe, Cauley Woodrow, Niall Huggins, Luke Harris

Retained Squad

New Signings

Calum Ward (Motherwell – fee)

The first player that I think The Chairboys may well go for – and so is a bit of an “open goal” signing – is Calum Ward. Already rumoured to be a potential signing during the summer for Wycombe Wanderers, I believe Ward could represent a good option for The Chairboys. 

With Shamal George out on loan yet unlikely to be re-integrated back into the first-team under Michael Duff and with Will Norris seemingly one of those that could be allowed to depart in the summer, I think that The Chairboys will look to bring in a new backup goalkeeper to provide competition to Will Norris for the #1 jersey. Indeed, Ward is already one that has been rumoured as one that they are looking at regarding a summer deal.

Ward only signed for Motherwell last summer and is contracted until the end of the 2026-27 campaign, and so he would require a fee if The Chairboys are to land his services. I am, however, often a huge advocate for the fact that the Scottish market usually provides good value when it comes to signing players on a fee, and so I don’t think that a potential deal for the 25-year-old would be too costly. The Chairboys have got a good budget, but they need to ensure that they make use of that effectively and I feel a deal for Ward is. 

It seems the wheels are already in motion for this deal, and so I fully expect that The Chairboys will – at some point this summer – sign the Motherwell stopper ahead of 2026-27.

Solomon Bonnah (Vitesse Arnhem – fee)

One area in which I think that The Chairboys need to strengthen is at full-back. Ideally, a utility option that is comfortable playing on both sides. While their success in shopping in the foreign markets has been mixed in the last 12-18 months, one option that I think they could consider is Vitesse Arnhem defender Solomon Bonnah. 

One of the major attractions as to why I feel that Bonnah could be a good addition to this Chairboys squad is due to the fact that he provides them with something a little bit different in his speed, agility and dynamism. When I look at The Chairboys, I don’t think that they have got that much speed. When I have watched Michael Duff teams, they are most effective with athleticism in the full-back areas and so Bonnah definitely ticks a number of the requisite boxes. 

At 22 years of age, I think that Bonnah represents quite a nice long-term project and a sensible investment for The Chairboys to make. Quite a lot of the options that Wycombe Wanderers have got in the backline are not the most mobile, and so Bonnah is the antithesis of that.

As a player, Bonnah is an incredibly quick, athletic, high-energy full-back that has got the low centre of gravity and dynamism to get up and down the right-hand side in driving the ball forward from deep. Such is his athleticism and physical profile, I could quite easily see him being used in a more forward capacity whereby his ball-carrying capabilities can provide The Chairboys an outlet in transition. 

I get that there will be reservations in going abroad to sign players given their more recent forays into that market have been largely underwhelming, but I feel that Bonnah has a lot of upside. He is a good age, versatile, played good first-team minutes at a decent level, and offers The Chairboys something different in the defensive third. He has got good attributes, and under a top coach in Michael Duff I would be inclined to maintain that he could get the best out of him as a bit of a project.

Callum Wright (Plymouth Argyle – free)

One player that I think that The Chairboys could ‘nip in’ to sign in the market is Callum Wright. He ended the campaign playing his football on loan at Wigan Athletic, but I think that there is a chance that Wright could sign for Wycombe Wanderers. 

Michael Duff has talked in his interviews recently about the fact that he hasn’t got the characters in the group that he would like, and so it wouldn’t surprise me to sign a player that Duff has worked with before. One of those players is Wright, whom Duff has managed whilst in charge of Cheltenham Town. His best form came under the Chairboys boss, and so I expect that – at the very least – Duff will have interest in his services. 

The Chairboys have missed that attacking midfielder that is capable of getting on the half-turn, between the lines and with the engine to break the lines and get into the box with runs from deep. In 2024-25, they had that profile of player in Cameron Humphreys that could make those runs beyond the play with an eye for a goal and perhaps haven’t had that in 2025-26, but I think that Wright – whilst perhaps not as balletic as Humphreys – has got the engine and diminutive frame to pick up clever pockets.

He has got an incredible energy to his play which I really like. Capable of pressing from the front. Good technique and a clean ball-striker. Great energy against the ball. The Chairboys have missed that tricky midfield profile in the mould of a Cameron Humphreys that they had in 2024-25, and while Wright is perhaps not as technical or quick-footed he does have that lovely ability to ghost into space and has an eye for goal. 

The 25-year-old is almost certainly going to be let go by Plymouth Argyle, and so he will be available on a free transfer. If he does, I do not expect him to be short of interest given the form that he has been in during 2025-26, but I feel that Michael Duff’s track record managing the midfielder – and the financial package The Chairboys may be able to provide – might well be the deciding factor.

Killian Phillips (St Mirren – fee)

Looking at the existing midfield options that The Chairboys have at their disposal, one candidate that I feel should be of interest to Michael Duff is Killian Phillips. They have got a number of smaller and more technical types, yet they lack that more physically imposing, box-to-box profile. I think Phillips is a good stylistic fit for that. 

Phillips is a player that I highlighted last summer as a potential option for Plymouth Argyle to try and sign, and so he is someone that I think is more than capable of playing for a side at the top-end of League One. He may not have ripped up any proverbial trees with St Mirren and has slipped somewhat off the radar by moving North of the border, however he is a player I retain a lot of interest in. 

As a profile to complement what The Chairboys have already in the building, I think Phillips is perfect. An imposing frame. Physically strong. The athleticism and running power to progress the ball from deep into the top end of the pitch. 

I am a huge advocate for having an attacking midfielder that is on the larger side, as it allows you to use him as a reference in playing out and in leaving the strikers higher and closer to goal. I think that playing Phillips as a #10 whereby teams can bounce balls into him in the build-up is a really smart tactic, as he has got the size and presence to receive the ball into his chest and good aerially. 

The other thing that I particularly like with Phillips is how well-rounded he is as a player. While I think his best position is in stepping onto the play and attacking the ball from deep, he has got the skillsets such that he can be used in a deeper midfield role if required. I would see him perhaps being the perfect partner to Josh Scowen whereby you’ve got a ball-winner in Scowen and the athleticism, line-breaking qualities of Killian Phillips to progress the ball. 

I think that signing out of the Scottish markets tends to be fairly cost-effective for clubs in the Football League, and so I believe Phillips would represent a more affordable option. If The Chairboys can sign the 24-year-old, I think that they would be getting a really useful jigsaw piece for their midfield. 

Jordan Thomas (Cheltenham Town – free)

If The Chairboys are to stick with the use of a 4-2-3-1 formation that they have played for much of the campaign, one profile that I would be looking to add is a right winger. One option that I feel that they should look at is Cheltenham Town youngster Jordan Thomas. 

The young Robin has been one of the standout players for them in League Two this year, and is a player that has reportedly been the subject of interest from League One sides last January. He didn’t leave The Robins in the end, but there is a bit of acceptance amongst the Town fanbase that Thomas is on who will again be subject of teams higher in the pyramid. 

One of the major reasons as to why I like Thomas as someone that is capable of making the step up into League One is due to the fact that he has been as good as he has in such a struggling team. The confidence to receive the ball under pressure. Heavily burdened with the responsibility for being the sole creator in open-play. Having to be rather self-sufficient in his output. Whereas some systems can be catered towards playing solely around a single player, Thomas has shown that he has got the qualities to create of his own accord, and thrive in that pressure. 

While The Chairboys have got more of a pacey, dynamic, direct outlet in the form of Brad Quitirna, Thomas represents more of a technically proficient wide player. More craft and subtlety in his final ball. A delicate weight of pass. That extra bit of quality in the ball-striking. Really good close control and technique in his ball manipulation in tight areas. 

One thing that particularly impresses me with Thomas is the fact that despite being only a diminutive customer, I feel that he uses his body really well to protect the ball in the carry. He rides challenges well. He is at his most effective when holding width in the initial build-up phase in isolating the opposition full-back whereby he can get on the turn and run at players. 

He will be in high demand this summer having turned down opportunities in January, and while he could go higher into the Championship I think that a top-end League One side could represent more of a sensible next step for the youngster. If The Chairboys could get it done, I think it would be a fabulous acquisition for them going into next season.

Cauley Woodrow (Luton Town – free)

The Chairboys’ foreign experiment in signing Bradley Fink has perhaps not worked out as they would have liked, with the Swiss forward having failed to really get going at Adams Park. As such, I feel that a lot of their ability to compete next term will hinge on their ability to suitably strengthen the attack. 

One player that is sure to be on the radar for The Chairboys having enjoyed the 2025-26 campaign on loan with Michael Duff’s side – and having impressed during that period with a decent return – is Cauley Woodrow. 

I am expecting that Jack Wilshere will look to continue the development of his Hatters side by trying to put his stamp on the squad. As such, I anticipate that players on the ‘fringes’ of the group will be trimmed, and allowed to depart the football club. Woodrow is now 31 years of age, and has been with The Hatters since 2022. I think that this summer represents a convenient point for The Hatters to part ways with the experienced forward. 

In terms of the options that are available on the market, I don’t think that The Chairboys are going to find themselves another option that a) boasts the experience of the league, and higher and b) has got the familiarity with this group and the way that Michael Duff wants to play. A return of 12 goals in 40 games for The Chairboys in all competitions is a good return. 

The 30-year-old has spent much of his career in the South East – having been born in Hemel Hempstead, coming through Fulham’s academy and most recently being with The Hatters – and so I feel the geography of signing for Wycombe Wanderers would be beneficial to him at this stage of his career. As much as The Chairboys need to change things in the summer, I think there is a lot to be said in having the continuity of re-signing. If they can get it done, I feel it is good business.

Callum Marshall (West Ham United – loan)

The second #9 that I think The Chairboys should sign during the summer is Callum Marshall. Currently on the books at Premier League West Ham United and spending the 2025-26 campaign on loan at German side VFL Bochum, I believe that he would be both an a) attainable signing and b) a major coup. 

Michael Duff has talked about signing the right characters, and so I feel that there is a possibility that he will re-sign players that he has managed before. Callum Wright has previously worked under Duff, and Marshall is another to have done so having spent time with him at Huddersfield Town. The Hammers’ forward 10 goals in all competitions for The Terriers in the 2024-25 campaign. 

As a profile, Marshall is capable of playing centrally or out wide. When operating the use of a 4-2-3-1 formation, a signing of Marshall’s versatility is incredibly beneficial to Michael Duff in allowing him to adapt how he is used.

In terms of his attributes, the young West Ham United forward represents a really well-rounded forward. Intelligent movement. Aggressive and incisive in his running. Quick. A powerful athlete. An infectious energy and work-rate that very much sets the tone for the team. Technically strong.

As far as diversifying The Chairboy’s attack, I feel Marshall provides Michael Duff with a slightly different profile to what they have got. He has got a lovely ability to spin in behind off the shoulder of the defence and make penetrative runs in behind direct to goal. Yet, he has got a lovely variety to his game such that he can drop shorter and link the play in the pockets. 

If Wycombe Wanderers are going to get promoted, I do feel that the top end of the pitch is where they perhaps need to do the most work compared to some of the other sides in League One. Marshall has done well under Duff before, and if the Chairboys boss can platform him as effectively with The Chairboys as he did during his time with The Terriers then I think he can be a smart addition to the forward line.