Football Season Guide

Wycombe Wanderers

In


Nathan Bishop (Goalkeeper, Sunderland, Season-long loan); Alex Hartridge (Defender, Exeter City); Daniel Harvie (Defender, Milton Keynes); Jack Matton (Defender, Woking); Tyreeq Bakinson (Midfielder, Sheffield Wednesday); Brody Peart (Attacker, Brighton & Hove Albion); Daniel Udoh (Attacker, Shrewsbury Town); Jaiden Bartolo (Attacker, Wealdstone); Jahiem Dotse (Attacker, Eastleigh)

Out


Max Stryjek (sp) (Goalkeeper, Jagiellonia Białystok); Nathan Shepperd (Goalkeeper, released); Chris Forino-Joseph (r) (Defender, Bolton Wanderers); Jack Wakely (Defender, released); Joe Jacobson (sp) (Defender, released); Kane Vincent-Young (sp) (Defender, released); Nigel Lonwijk (r) (Defender, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Loan ended); Saxon Earley (Defender, Plymouth Argyle, Loan ended); Chem Campbell (Midfielder, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Loan ended); Taylor Clark (Midfielder, Farnborough, Loan); Gideon Kodua (sp) (Attacker, West Ham United, Loan ended); Freddie Potts (k) (Midfielder, West Ham United, Loan ended); Dale Taylor (sp) (Attacker, Nottingham Forest, Loan ended); D’Mani Mellor (Attacker, released)

It has been another summer of change for Wycombe Wanderers, this time off the pitch. Georgian billionaire Mikheil Lomtadze became the unlikely owner of the Chairboys after purchasing the club from its American owners at the end of last season. It remains to be seen what he really wants with a small market town club from Buckinghamshire and it has been an understated start so far this summer. Matt Bloomfield, a club legend with 558 appearances for the Chairboys, oversaw a season of transition having faced the unenviable task of following in Gareth Ainsworth’s footsteps. It was a qualified success, with a Wembley final in the EFL Trophy, albeit one which ended in defeat. A relegation battle loomed large in January yet the season ended in a 10th-placed finish in April. Bloomfield isn’t afraid of making big decisions with first-choice goalkeeper Max Stryjek jettisoned in March and Nathan Bishop will be first-choice this season after signing on a season-long loan from Sunderland. Other additions have been steady if unspectacular, striker Daniel Udoh perhaps the best of the bunch, having opted for a move away from Shrewsbury Town. The squad didn’t need big changes in truth, just some shrewd additions, and there’s still room for a couple more. The loss of centre-back Chris Forino-Joseph is certainly the biggest blow, having rejected a new deal to sign for Bolton Wanderers. Centre-back Nigel Lonwijk and midfielder Freddie Potts’ departures were expected but will take some replacing after impressing whilst on loan. Bloomfield will be looking to build on his first full season in charge and push his vision forward as they target another top-half finish.

Target


Top-half. Wycombe Wanderers are battling with some big clubs and despite the vast wealth of their new owner, remain a small fish in a big pond.