1 week Ago
Ian Holloway will have plenty of decisions to make this summer as he prepares to make decisions on 18 members of his Swindon Town squad. With less than a month remaining in the season and nothing to play for in regards to promotion and relegation, many of the Swindon squad are playing for their professional futures with the club. Holloway has stated that, other than offering Botan Ameen a first professional contract and improving the terms of Joel McGregor’s deal in line with his importance to the squad, he will be waiting for after the campaign ends against Milton Keynes Dons on May 3 to make decisions on his players.
In the current squad, Harrison Minturn is signed up until the summer of 2027, and Redman Evans, Tunmise Sobowale, Will Wright, Ryan Delaney, Billy Kirkman, Joel McGregor, Sonny Hart, Gavin Kilkenny, Danny Butterworth, Ollie Clarke, Dylan Mitchell, Jaxon Brown, and Harry Smith are all contracted until the end of the 2025/26 season. That leaves 13 permanent players out of contract this summer. Additionally, Joel Cotterill is the only loan player who is definitely contracted by their parent club for next season, with the length of Kabongo Tshimanga’s contract length unknown.
This leaves decisions to be made over the futures of: Goalkeepers: Connor Ripley, Jack Bycroft Ripley has said that he would like to remain at Swindon on a footballing level, having enjoyed his six months with the club, but his family situation meant he was still discussing with his partner what would make sense for them. Bycroft has said that he has no reason to want to leave Swindon , his boyhood club, but is intent on being a starting goalkeeper. Defenders: Pharel Johnson, Tariq Uwakwe, George Cox, Grant Hall, and Miguel Freckleton Injuries have plagued Johnson’s 18 months at Swindon, only making one appearance last season and had his season ended in August on loan at Truro City after another injury.
Uwakwe seems to have no future at Swindon, having not played at all this season under Mark Kennedy or Holloway, and has also struggled for game time during loans at Maidenhead United and Aldershot Town. Cox has been a regular fixture on the left this season and has performed well, having spent the last five seasons in the Eredivisie. The defender said that he has enjoyed his time at Swindon but would be looking for a long-term deal from his next club.
Hall has endured yet another injury-plagued season since returning to the club, and Holloway has said that he is considering retirement once the campaign ends. Freckleton has had an up-and-down season on loan from Sheffield United, struggling at the start and then picking up a long-term injury before performing well since returning to the team. His contract ends at Brammall Lane this summer after they used an optional extension to keep him last year.
Midfielders: Jake Cain, Anton Dworzak, Nnamdi Ofoborh, Saidou Khan Cain has had another season of being in and out of the team at Swindon, although he has proved to be a useful utility player as he featured at left-back. Holloway may look to keep him for depth, but the former Liverpool man could prefer to look for more regular football. Dworzak has spent almost the entire season with Swindon Supermarine but has struggled to make an impact on the first team since first breaking through under Scott Lindsey.
He is likely to leave the club this summer. Ofoborh has ended up becoming a key man for Swindon this season after Kennedy considered loaning him out at the beginning of the campaign. The 25-year-old was one of three players name-checked by Holloway as making a strong case after Fleetwood Town and is likely to be made an offer to stay for a third season.
Khan made it clear that he wanted out last summer before joining Tranmere Rovers on a season-long loan and picking up a long-term injury. He will almost certainly leave at the end of the season. Forwards: Aaron Drinan, Paul Glatzel, Sean McGurk, Tom Nichols, Joe Westley Despite his season-ending injury in February, Holloway said that Drinan is someone that he would like to keep for next season.
Glatzel has had a more trying second campaign in Wiltshire but has begun to pick up of late and has impressed Holloway with what he can offer on the right wing. Although McGurk greatly impressed Holloway at first with his technical skill, there have been question marks about him since, as he failed to lock down a regular place in the team. Although his loan at Yeovil Town was going well, his injury has cost him the chance to keep making a case to stay.
Nichols is another who has come in for heavy praise from Holloway for what he offers the team on and off the pitch and will be out of contract with Mansfield Town, having not featured much since their promotion to League One. He is someone Swindon are expected to pursue this summer. Westley has predominantly been used from the bench, but Holloway has hailed his impact when he comes on and his finishing ability.
With his contract with Burnley up in the summer, he could be seen as someone with the potential to develop and contribute within Holloway’s preferred stable of forwards..
