Defender Jake Wannell and midfielder Charlie Cooper have both committed their futures to Yeovil Town.
However, midfielder Harry Kite and defender Michael Smith have both followed Sonny Blu Lo Everton in confirming that they will not be returning to Huish Park next season.
The club confirmed it is in talks with a number of other players including defenders Alex Whittle, Dom Bernard and Marcel Lavinier about new contracts after their deals expired.
In an official statement posted on Tuesday afternoon, it said Wannell had “agreed terms to extend his stay at Huish Park” with no details around the length of the new deal, and added that Cooper had “activated a clause in his contract” to stay for next season.
In the statement, the club listed Kite, who joined the club on a short-term deal at the end of last season as he looked to rebuild his fitness after a serious injury, as one of those in “ongoing conversations” with manager Mark Cooper.
However, in a post on his own social media, the former Exeter City man said: “Would like to thank @YTFC for the last few months. It’s been short but sweet! Wishing you all the best next season and beyond!”
Smith followed suit with his own farewell confirming the end of two seasons which saw him collect a National League South champions’ medal to his collection during the 2023/24 campaign.
The statement also lists goalkeeper Will Buse, who spent last season on loan at relegated W*ymouth, and little seen midfielder Caleb Hughes among those in talks with the manager.
Kite and Smith’s confirmations that they will not be returning next season follows hot on the heels of a similar confirmation by Lo Everton that his two-year spell at the club has ended.
The 22-year-old posted on his Twitter/X channel to confirm he had left the club before the club had published its retained and released list of players.
In the post, Sonny said: “Just wanted to say thank you to @YTFC for the past 2 years, would have loved to carry on and make more memories but that’s football. I’ve had some really good times and met some unbelievable people. Massive thanks to the fans who support home and away, and for the supporters Player of the Season.”
The club has also confirmed players who remain under contract from last season with the club as goalkeepers Aidan Stone and Matt Gould, defenders Morgan Williams, Finn Cousin-Dawson and Jordan Thomas, who spent much of last season on loan at National League South side Torquay United. Midfielders Brett McGavin, Jacob Maddox, Josh Sims and Lewys Twamley also remain under contract along with strikers Harvey Greenslade and Aaron Jarvis.
I’m really surprised to see there are ongoing conversations between manager Mark Cooper and Will Buse. After being left out of the squad for a whole season, I expected Busey to be released. Very odd. Or maybe a copy/paste error by the club?
I should add that I didn’t expect Harry Kite to stay and I’m glad Jake Wannell and Charlie Cooper are both staying. I’m sad to see that Sonny Blu is leaving, but as Sonny said, that’s football. Thanks, Sonny, and good luck for your future career.
The club website stated Mark Cooper was in ongoing discussions with some of the players out of contract, not all.
Looks like we’re having a bit of a clear out. Thought Michael Smith may have stayed on in a coaching role. Let’s hope Mark Cooper gets some good ones in the door.
Now Michael Smith has posted that he’s leaving the club. That’s a shame too. Good luck with your future, Smudge.
I can’t believe Jordan Thomas is on a 2 year contract!
Manager’s have got to be better than this when signing players.
Every season Mark Cooper has players under contract he has no intention of using.
This was how we got into a mess under Gary Johnson in League One. He blew the entire budget early on signing players on 2 year contracts, then decided a few weeks into the season that most of them were no good!
But on the flip side, sign them on a one year deal, and they turn out to be quality players, they go on a free at the end of the season rather than keeping hold of them or getting a fee for them. Football’s always a catch 22!
Haven’t seen many of them in recent seasons and be honest if they are capable of playing leagues above and are fit they wouldn’t be here on contract
The point I’m making, is that the club is committed to paying them for 104 weeks.
For a manager to decide after 6-10 weeks that the player isn’t good enough shows very poor judgement in the first place.
Last season we had two players the manager had no intention of using.
That money could have been spent on two extra signings during the season.
My first comment wasn’t a dig at Jordan Thomas.
I’m just amazed that Mark Cooper repeated the same errors as in his first full season.
Every manager is going to make mistakes in player signings, and particularly without the big teams of scouts and data analysts that bigger teams have. I missed a lot of this season so I don’t really have a handle in how many such mistakes MC made, but if it is just two from a whole squad (as you suggest) that seems pretty good.
It’s a lot more than two.
Looking at the eleven still under contract I only see four that look like first team regulars.
The point is, he’s deciding literally weeks after signing them that they’re not good enough.
He then freezes these players out.
Perhaps we’ll get an offer to sell Thomas. Torquay?
Letting Lo Everton go and keeping Charlie Cooper just confirms my thoughts, that Mark Cooper is clueless. No matter how much money the new owner has if you don’t have a positive leader in charge of playing matters then next season will be same old, same old. Btw any news on the rumour that Frank Nouble is coming back as player/coach
I’d like to see Worthy back. He hasn’t had many minutes at Oldham and might get even fewer in League Two.
I definitely wouldn’t want to see him back. He’d already lost his place to McGavin, so would only be a back up at best.
I couldn’t fault his work ethic, but he hardly stood out, as either an attacking or defensive midfielder.
I was very surprised when Oldham came in for him.
Not a massive fan of the fake historical YTFC font. A new owner is bound to want to do things differently. Hopefully it’s one of the first things they do.. a consultation with fans that gets us something different to look at.