RETAINED LIST

[Ragdoll Cobbler]

Northampton Town manager Kevin Nolan has announced his end of season retained list.
 
The Cobblers have made contract offers to five out of contract players, with 11 released.
 
PLAYERS ALREADY UNDER CONTRACT FOR 2025/26
Jordan Willis, Sam Hoskins, Tom Eaves, Nesta Guinness-Walker, Cameron McGeehan, Jack Baldwin, Liam Shaw, James Dadge, Lee Burge.
Lee Burge triggered an appearance related twelve month contract extension during the season, while Patrick Brough has been invited back for pre-season training. Conversations are ongoing with Tariqe Fosu.

PLAYERS OUT OF CONTRACT WHO HAVE BEEN OFFERED A NEW CONTRACT
Aaron McGowan, Jon Guthrie, Mitch Pinnock, Josh Tomlinson, Max Dyche
 
PLAYERS WHO HAVE NOT BEEN OFFERED A NEW CONTRACT AND WHO WILL LEAVE THE CLUB
Tyler Magloire, Jack Sowerby, James Wilson, Nik Tzanev, Ali Koiki, Liam McCarron, Harvey Lintott, Akin Odimayo, Will Hondermarck, TJ Eyoma, Reuben Wyatt.
 
YOUTH TEAM SCHOLARS WHO HAVE HAD A THIRD YEAR SCHOLARSHIP ACTIVATED
Neo Dobson, Matty Ireland
 
LOAN PLAYERS WHO WILL RETURN TO THEIR PARENT CLUBS
Ben Perry, Dara Costelloe, Terry Taylor, Tyler Roberts, Luke Mbete, Samy Chouchane, Callum Morton
 
"We have made some difficult decisions and it is never nice having to tell a player that their contract is not being renewed," said manager Kevin Nolan.
 
"Some of these players have been at the club a number of years and have played a big part here, helping the club enjoy some good times over the last few years, and all of the departing players will leave with our thanks and best wishes.
 
“We believe we have a good core of players here, both in terms of ability and culture, which is very important, and we are excited to be entering into discussions with our chosen targets to build on and add to that over the course of the summer.”

[threeinabed]

needs to move some under contract on..............if the new deals are all signed we will already have 5 centre halves on our books. 1 injured, 2 injury prone, 1 too slow and JT

[DavCobb]

I think it is good that we are going to see a new squad (well as good as) next season.
I'm sure people will get twitchy if we haven't signed them all within the next few weeks.

In KN we trust.

[Mysterious Curle]

Overall I think he's got this right.

I assume Dyche, Tomlinson, Dadge will be available for loan as they're not ready for L1 football?

Also assume Willis, Eaves, Baldwin and Burge are available should anyone wish to offer them a deal elsewhere.

Fosu is a strange one, I wouldn't waste my time if I was KN!

[Mysterious Curle]

needs to move some under contract on..............if the new deals are all signed we will already have 5 centre halves on our books. 1 injured, 2 injury prone, 1 too slow and JT

Well said that man.

[lordjord]

needs to move some under contract on..............if the new deals are all signed we will already have 5 centre halves on our books. 1 injured, 2 injury prone, 1 too slow and JT

My first thought also. Dont know how likely it is but Baldwin and Willis need to be moved on and Tomlinson loaned out. Whilst im not his biggest fan I imagine Dyche could be seen as a 4th choice option if those ahead of him were Guthrie + 2 new CB's.

One thing we desperately need moving forward is pace. Who is the quickest player we have under contract? NGW? Screaming for some pace with the new additions.

[Lizard68]

Overall I think he's got this right.

I assume Dyche, Tomlinson, Dadge will be available for loan as they're not ready for L1 football?

Also assume Willis, Eaves, Baldwin and Burge are available should anyone wish to offer them a deal elsewhere.

Fosu is a strange one, I wouldn't waste my time if I was KN!

You assume a lot of things   Doesn't mean you're right though.

[Mysterious Curle]

My first thought also. Dont know how likely it is but Baldwin and Willis need to be moved on and Tomlinson loaned out. Whilst im not his biggest fan I imagine Dyche could be seen as a 4th choice option if those ahead of him were Guthrie + 2 new CB's.

One thing we desperately need moving forward is pace. Who is the quickest player we have under contract? NGW? Screaming for some pace with the new additions.

Lets not forget McGowan filled in at CB for much of the season and looked our best option there, selected ahead of Baldwin, Willis, Dyche, Eyoma etc. on most occasions.

[Mysterious Curle]

You assume a lot of things   Doesn't mean you're right though.

Thanks for your input on the thread, its been invaluable.

I eagerly anticipate your next insightful contribution.

[U.T.C]

Nice to see that Max has been offered a new contract 👍

[SC Cobbler]

Odimayo would be a very good signing for any League Two side really - I'd have kept personally. I wonder if the club will try to shift Willis or if there's a hope we might get a decent season out of him with a proper pre-season? He's absolute top quality when he's on the pitch.

[Deepcut Cobbler]

I wonder if Burge will remain if KN makes him aware that he's looking for a new No 1?

[Lizard68]

Odimayo would be a very good signing for any League Two side really - I'd have kept personally. I wonder if the club will try to shift Willis or if there's a hope we might get a decent season out of him with a proper pre-season? He's absolute top quality when he's on the pitch.

I agree about Willis, also when Baldwin and Guthrie played alongside each other in September/October time it was our best and tightest during the entire season defensively.  But everybody has a price or could go elsewhere for regular first team football, so we'll have to see what the summer holds. ntfclad also suggested Baldwin and Willis could be allowed to leave if there are takers and that is normally the problem with contracted players, finding them a new club.

[DavCobb]

I assume Dyche will be available for loan as they're not ready for L1 football?

I kind of get it if you were Liverpool but seriously, how long a project can one player be?! He is 22 and if he isn't good enough now, then you have to question the player or our coaching ability. I would very much doubt we are offering a contract to loan him out!

[Grove]

I kind of get it if you were Liverpool but seriously, how long a project can one player be?! He is 22 and if he isn't good enough now, then you have to question the player or our coaching ability. I would very much doubt we are offering a contract to loan him out!

Who is saying he's not Good enough ,Nolan clearly thinks he is.

[therealpattcobb]

Who is saying he's not Good enough ,Nolan clearly thinks he is.

He's good enough, being in or close to the first team for nearly half a season. Has done him good

[Tabasco Kid]

I wonder if Burge will remain if KN makes him aware that he's looking for a new No 1?

Heads or tails? 
Take the security of a new contract as a possible number two,
Or take the chance of your agent touting you around preseason, as a number one, albeit very injury prone, and likely to lose a filling, chip a fingernail, or tread on a Lego brick?  Lower League Two at best in my opinion.

[Carton Lid]

Who is saying he's not Good enough ,Nolan clearly thinks he is.

It's only on here that Dyche gets blamed for everything, virtually all other fans I speak to think he's done a decent job, despite having different partners every week and still being relatively young for a centre half

[Winslow Lee]

So is that 10 contracted, 5 offers and 2 undecided on (Fosu & Brough). What size squad did KN say he was looking at? I remember it not being that big so doesn’t look like we’ll be making a huge amount of signings.

[DrillingCobbler]

I would have liked to have seen Odimayo offered another contract; its all down to personal opinion of course but I think he's a very capable and versatile league1 player. Or a very top end league2 player.

I also don't understand why Brough has been given an opportunity. Of course we do not know the finer details. He may have simply asked to prove himself during pre-season and Nolan agreed, who knows! I see Brough as a good league2 player but as soon as he's up against someone half decent in league1 he gets roasted. A brave player and a great character no doubt and someone up until this season has a very good record in terms of avoiding injuries which is a huge plus. But if we are looking to kick on from being a bottom half league1 team, then Im struggling to see how he would fit in.

I am also quite pleased that Burge has activated another year on the proviso we get another keeper in at a decent level to challenge him or indeed Burge becomes the challenger. We've had far far worse over the years, its just that he's made of glass, I have no real issue with his ability. He's had some wobbles but all keepers do. Look at how Adam Smith declined after an amazing first season with his, look at our Roberts arrived as Walsall's scapegoat!

Dyche Id have thought will be fairly cheap relative to league1 wages; he does need to improve somewhat to be an asset in a back4 but has looked half decent most of the time in a back3. When you need 5 or 6 cb's in your squad, you need players with varying wage demands which fans rarely factor in as being part of the decision making process!

Lastly. Fosu. So the enigma is in discussions!   He really is a frustrating player, the last player we had that fell into that category was Kevin VV. We all know he's extremely talented. Not that a post on this website will have any influence but Ill leave that one with Kev...if he could somehow get into his head, then he could be one of our best ever players. He's so bloody talented. He's got to change a 29 year old's mindset though, big bloody ask that. We can only wait and see how that develops!