Keep / Sell / Replace

This intake should be treated as a development investment, not a reason to alter the senior recruitment plan. The first-team squad is still built around a compact 3-4-1-2/5-3-2, and the immediate senior needs remain progressive midfield quality and reliable left-sided depth.

• Keep and prioritise: Elliot Dawson, Callum Price, Nathan Holt and Owen Blake. Their profiles offer the best chance of producing useful defensive or midfield cover.
• Keep as longer-term projects: Daniel Foster and Jamie Walker. Neither should change the senior goalkeeper or attacking plans yet.
• Conditional keep: Luke Palmer and Ryan Ellis. Their technical or physical upside is interesting, but both have major developmental gates before they become credible first-team options.
• Do not sell or release senior players because of this intake. Dawson, Price and Blake are years from replacing established players.
• No immediate replacement is required. Blake may eventually support the right-sided defensive pathway, while Dawson or Price could eventually support Mercer’s position, but those are future options rather than current cover.

Target shortlist, ranked prospects

1. Elliot Dawson, D(C)/DM

The best defensive pathway in the intake. Passing 13, Teamwork 15, Work Rate 15, Leadership 14 and Strength 12 give him a credible centre-back/holding-midfielder base, with a Professional personality particularly valuable for development.

The dependency is mobility: Acceleration 6, Pace 5, Positioning 6 and Tackling 9 are serious weaknesses. If his speed does not improve, develop him as a compact-block defender or holding midfielder rather than a high-line centre-back. Sign and protect him first; this blocks the need to treat him as a future high-line solution, but does not block senior defensive recruitment.

2. Callum Price, DM

A strong screening project with Technique 13, Tackling 11, Bravery 16, Determination 17, Teamwork 15 and 6'3" stature. He fits the club’s need for future central protection, but Passing 6, Positioning 7, Decisions 8 and Anticipation 9 make him unsuitable for immediate promotion.

Prioritise passing and positioning. If Price develops as a reliable distributor, he can become the long-term double-pivot alternative; until then, this does not remove the need for senior progressive midfield quality.

3. Nathan Holt, D(C)

Useful foundations in Marking 10, Tackling 11 and Positioning 12, plus Bravery 16. However, Acceleration 4, Stamina 5, Strength 5, Anticipation 6, Decisions 7 and Teamwork 1 make him a high-risk project despite the potential rating.

Keep him under review rather than building the pathway around him. If the physical and teamwork development stalls, he should not block a future centre-back signing.

4. Owen Blake, D(R/L), WB/M

A defensive utility prospect with Technique 15, Passing 11, Teamwork 16, Work Rate 14, Bravery 17 and Determination 15. His right-foot dominance and two-sided defensive eligibility fit the club’s need for flexible wing-back cover.

Acceleration 7, Pace 9, Marking 6 and Anticipation 6 are the gates. Develop him conservatively on the right side. If he becomes positionally reliable, he can eventually reduce the need for emergency wing-back depth; until then, Porter and the senior options remain essential.

5. Daniel Foster, GK

Worth retaining as a goalkeeper project because of Handling 12, Reflexes 13, Agility 13 and Determination 13. Command of Area 3, Positioning 5, Composure 2, Kicking 5 and Strength 1 rule out treating him as an answer to the senior goalkeeper position.

Keep him only as a long-term project; this does not block further senior goalkeeper planning behind Hughes and Barker.

6. Jamie Walker, M(R)/AM(C)/ST(C)

The positional spread is attractive for a transition-focused squad, but the available report does not include enough attribute detail to rank him above the better-documented prospects. Retain and complete the attribute screen before committing a major development pathway.

7. Luke Palmer, AM(R/L)

Technique 12 and Flair 12 offer some attacking potential, but Passing 6, Decisions 7, Positioning 5, Concentration 3, Work Rate 7 and Strength 4 leave him well behind the first-team standard. Keep only on inexpensive terms; if decision-making and physical development do not improve, release rather than allowing him to block a more viable wide prospect.

8. Ryan Ellis, AM(R)/ST(C)

A pace-15 runner with Heading 13 and Technique 12, but Finishing 8, Composure 7, Strength 4, Positioning 2 and Teamwork 6 are major barriers. Develop him as a forward runner, not a wing-back. He should not block wide-defensive recruitment or be counted as striker depth until his finishing and movement improve.

Budget allocation

No intake or wage-budget figure is available, so no invented monetary split is proposed.

• First priority: secure Dawson and Price.
• Second priority: secure Holt and Blake if their terms are reasonable.
• Third priority: retain Foster and Walker without allowing their potential ratings to distort senior recruitment.
• Lowest priority: Palmer and Ellis