Contract expiry

[BWFC_Insane]

Santos is a London lad! He's settled on Chorley New Road now

Was gonna say I know he’s of Portuguese origin but think he’s been here all his life hasn’t he?

[TANGODANCER]

Santos is a London lad! He's settled on Chorley New Road now

Ta, Didn't know that. Thought he was a Spanish Spaniard. Didn't even know he was Portuguese. I just used him as an example.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Summer window wrap-up:
Lapsing contracts not extended: Gilks, Baptiste, Greenidge, Edwards, Gordon, Tutte, Delfouneso; plus youngsters Alexander and Fitzmartin
Outgoing permanent transfer: Darcy
Loans ended: Trafford, Fossey, Amaechi
Incoming season loans: Trafford, Bradley, Beck
Incoming permanent transfers: Iredale, Toal
Contract extension triggered: Hutchinson, Lockett
Contract extension accepted: Santos, Senior
First pro contracts: Conway, Pettifer, Toure, Tweedley, Litherland
B-team signings: Stanley, Carty, Khumbeni, Sithole, Sackey, Grivosti, Yoro

JUNE 2023
**James Trafford (10/10/02) – season loan from Man City, where he is contracted to 2026
Joel Dixon (9/12/93)
Will Aimson (3/6/94)
***Conor Bradley (9/7/03) – season loan from Liverpool, where he is contracted "long-term"
**Owen Beck (9/8/02) – season loan from Liverpool, where he is contracted "long-term"
MJ Williams (6/11/95)
Kieran Lee (22/6/88)
*George Thomason (12/1/01)
Josh Sheehan (30/3/95)
Lloyd Isgrove (12/1/93)
Elias Kachunga (22/4/92)
Amadou Bakayoko (1/1/96)
Jon Dadi Bodvarsson (25/5/92)

JUNE 2024
Gethin Jones (13/10/95)
George Johnston (1/9/98)
Declan John (30/6/95)
Kyle Dempsey (17/9/95)
Kieran Sadlier (14/9/94)
Dapo Afolayan (11/9/97)

JUNE 2025
Ricardo Santos (18/6/95)
Eoin Toal (15/2/99)
Jack Iredale (2/5/96)
Aaron Morley (27/2/00)
Dion Charles (7/10/95)

---------------------------------
B-team signings:
*Connor Stanley (30/12/01)
**Conor Carty (25/5/02)
**Nelson Khumbeni (14/10/02)
**Gerald Sithole (28/12/02)
***Lynford Sackey (18/2/03)
***Matty Grivosti (14/3/03)
****Eric Yoro (19/2/04)

Young pros:
**Adam Senior (20/1/02)
**Luke Hutchinson (1/9/02)
***Fin Lockett (20/4/03)
***Max Conway (5/9/03)
***Arran Pettifer (1/10/03)
***Lamine Toure (24/12/03)
****Matty Tweedley (16/4/04)
****Elis Litherland (5/5/04)

*Stars indicate underage players; number of stars indicates number of seasons they will remain underage, assuming EFL age rules don't change. So George Thomason is in his last underage season, but Elis Litherland has three more after the 2022/23 season.
No lengths given for contracts given to B-teamers and graduating academy players, so 2023 is an assumption.

[GhostoftheBok]

11 players contracted beyond this summer surprised me a bit. I intellectually "knew" that was the case, but seeing it written down feels weird.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

11 players contracted beyond this summer surprised me a bit. I intellectually "knew" that was the case, but seeing it written down feels weird.

Presumably as in "only" 11? Yeah. But we don't know what division we'll be in, and we can be relatively confident we'll be offered loanees. And a less immediate but no less important (in fact arguably more so) benefit of our burgeoning reputation for development is that we might become a destination for the better picks among the youths falling out of Big Club academies - more Dapo than Trafford, if you like.

Moreover, for all our talk of squad strength, as I say there aren't many of the non-11 that many of us would be clamouring to sign up right now for next season and beyond. Bod, perhaps; but given the apparent struggle to match his wage demands, and his so-far spotty fitness, let's not hurtle into that one either.

Put it this way: if we go up, we will need a lot of upgrades. At least, right now, that's how I feel; if our current players show from here to May that they're second-tier certainties, then all the better – but let's be realistic, that's unlikely to happen. If, on the other hand, we narrowly miss out on promotion, we could rehire many of them and add one or two more next-level lads. It's a good position to be in, IMO.

Put another way: If next summer's as quiet as this, we've either walked the league or missed out agonisingly.

[LeverEnd]

Good summary DSB. Nothing to worry about. Having a new manager who is stuck with long contracts and players he doesn't want, that's the big problem.

[GhostoftheBok]

Presumably as in "only" 11? Yeah. But we don't know what division we'll be in, and we can be relatively confident we'll be offered loanees. And a less immediate but no less important (in fact arguably more so) benefit of our burgeoning reputation for development is that we might become a destination for the better picks among the youths falling out of Big Club academies - more Dapo than Trafford, if you like.

Moreover, for all our talk of squad strength, as I say there aren't many of the non-11 that many of us would be clamouring to sign up right now for next season and beyond. Bod, perhaps; but given the apparent struggle to match his wage demands, and his so-far spotty fitness, let's not hurtle into that one either.

Put it this way: if we go up, we will need a lot of upgrades. At least, right now, that's how I feel; if our current players show from here to May that they're second-tier certainties, then all the better – but let's be realistic, that's unlikely to happen. If, on the other hand, we narrowly miss out on promotion, we could rehire many of them and add one or two more next-level lads. It's a good position to be in, IMO.

Put another way: If next summer's as quiet as this, we've either walked the league or missed out agonisingly.

I agree with all that.

[KeyserSoze]

https://www.bwfc.co.uk/news/2022/decemb ... -new-deal/

New long-term deal for our George.

[GhostoftheBok]

https://www.bwfc.co.uk/news/2022/decemb ... -new-deal/

New long-term deal for our George.

He was really coming on before his knock. Every time he has a challenge thrown at him he improves. Fully deserves his new deal.

If you look at both our new signings (Williams and Nlundulu) as planned to be here past the summer, I think that gives us 13 players we can say Evatt wants here next season.*edit* actually, maybe make that 12...as one is Sadlier and I should have edited my notes in light of recent stories.

In that context, you can see why Evatt and Markham want to get deals done and some out now. Not just to improve us for the run-in in the hope we go up, but also so that the summer market isn't an impossibly huge task.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I think 12/13 players is a good number to go into summer with - gives us flexibility depending on division. If we do manage to go up, we don’t want 18/20 contracted players of whom half a dozen might struggle. There again, if we stay down we have a good core.

As I’ve said on the transfer thread, I think there are some lapsing players who might get offered another year at this level - if our planned upgrades won’t come.

[GhostoftheBok]

I think 12/13 players is a good number to go into summer with - gives us flexibility depending on division.

I think that's true and it's always likely that there's more churn in your squad at this level. However, there can be too much of a good thing. To me I think 12 is too few, given that Evatt's system requires pretty intense coaching and fitness work. I'd like to avoid an early adjustment period being too severe. Ideally we'd have a more solid core of another couple, but it is what it is.

The fact we'll go into next season with no goalkeepers is making the numbers look worse, so it's not something I'm panicky about; but if we could at secure a central midfielder and another forward (serious players) I'd be reassured.

Weirdly, if we went up I think the numbers would be more favourable, as I'd expect Trafford and Bradley to perhaps stick around. If we don't go up they likely won't.

[TANGODANCER]

Weirdly, if we went up I think the numbers would be more favourable, as I'd expect Trafford and Bradley to perhaps stick around. If we don't go up they likely won't.

Maybe the boss man's waiting to see where Trafford's future lies before looking to sign another keeper. Bradley too for that matter, but we have more back up in the field than in the nets. A bit of a waiting game right now maybe?

[officer_dibble]

Trafford a on a long term contract and won’t be going anywhere other than out on loan or for a big fee. Gut is he won’t play for us again after this season.

Bradley will get a championship or even a premier league loan next season I think.

[The_Gun]

Trafford I think we could keep if we got promoted. Don’t think he’s ready for a higher level than Championship yet.

[GhostoftheBok]

Neither of them is ready for the Premier League. Not close. Though I'm setting off in a minute, so they can feel free to prove me wrong by showing Premier League performances today.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I think 12/13 players is a good number to go into summer with - gives us flexibility depending on division.

I think that's true and it's always likely that there's more churn in your squad at this level.

And especially when moving up levels. Or down.

[GhostoftheBok]

Or down.

I'm going out on a limb a bit, but I don't think we have to worry about that this season.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Or down.

I'm going out on a limb a bit, but I don't think we have to worry about that this season.

We haven’t had the all-clear from Worthy yet.

[Worthy4England]

^^ Accrington have games in hand in 21st place. We're a looooong way from mathematically being safe...

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Winter window wrap-up so far:
Outgoing permanent transfers: Bakayoko, Afolayan
Loan ended: Beck
Incoming loans: Nlundulu, Shoretire
Incoming permanent transfer: R Williams

JUNE 2023
**James Trafford (10/10/02) – season loan from Man City, where he is contracted to 2026
Joel Dixon (9/12/93)
Will Aimson (3/6/94)
***Conor Bradley (9/7/03) – season loan from Liverpool, where he is contracted "long-term"
MJ Williams (6/11/95)
Kieran Lee (22/6/88)
Josh Sheehan (30/3/95)
Lloyd Isgrove (12/1/93)
Shola Shoretire (2/2/04) - loan from Man United, contract length unknown
Elias Kachunga (22/4/92)
Jon Dadi Bodvarsson (25/5/92)
Dan Nlundulu (5/2/99) - loan from Southampton, where his contract expires in June

JUNE 2024
Gethin Jones (13/10/95)
George Johnston (1/9/98)
Declan John (30/6/95)
Kyle Dempsey (17/9/95)
Kieran Sadlier (14/9/94)

JUNE 2025
Ricardo Santos (18/6/95)
Eoin Toal (15/2/99)
Jack Iredale (2/5/96)
Randell Williams (30/12/96)
*George Thomason (12/1/01) "with the option for a further year"
Aaron Morley (27/2/00)
Dion Charles (7/10/95)

---------------------------------
B-team signings:
*Connor Stanley (30/12/01)
**Conor Carty (25/5/02)
**Mackenzie Chapman (13/9/02)
**Nelson Khumbeni (14/10/02)
**Gerald Sithole (28/12/02)
***Lynford Sackey (18/2/03)
***Matty Grivosti (14/3/03)
****Eric Yoro (19/2/04)

Young pros:
**Adam Senior (20/1/02)
**Luke Hutchinson (1/9/02)
***Fin Lockett (20/4/03)
***Max Conway (5/9/03)
***Arran Pettifer (1/10/03)
***Lamine Toure (24/12/03)
****Matty Tweedley (16/4/04)
****Elis Litherland (5/5/04)

*Stars indicate underage players; number of stars indicates number of seasons they will remain underage, assuming EFL age rules don't change. So George Thomason is in his last underage season, but Elis Litherland has three more after the 2022/23 season.
No lengths given for contracts given to B-teamers and graduating academy players, so 2023 is an assumption.