2 bargain free transfers Wycombe Wanderers could consider ft Jamal Baptiste | OneFootball

Matt Bloomfield could add these two free agents to his squad, as he continues to build for the 2024/25 season.

With plenty of good players still yet to find a club, the free-agent market could heat up shortly. Wycombe Wanderers manager Matt Bloomfield has already confirmed his intention to get more business done, as he looks to shape his squad for the 2024/25 season.

The Wanderers have made five first-team signings so far this window, but the two most recent additions Bloomfield made to his squad were back on July 3rd. Following a spirited but ultimately disappointing defeat against Wrexham on the opening day, the 40-year-old will work hard to identify his squad's final few pieces.

The two options below would be smart pieces of business, as both are available for free and add to the squad in positions that they currently lack depth.

Darius Johnson

Benji Walker (@benjiwalkerphoto)

It's been rumoured that the Chairboys have been looking overseas at potential recruits, as a few weeks ago, a loan bid was reportedly submitted for young Feyenoord defender Antef Tsoungui. Another option with Eredivisie experience is the Grenadian international Johnson, who was on trial with the Blues this summer.

In 2019, the then-teenager was plying his trade in non-league for Kensington & Ealing Borough FC, and there was doubt he'd ever make it as a professional footballer. Things would change for the skilful winger that summer, as YouTube team Rising Ballers brought light to the young talent via social media. This would earn the youngster a trial at Premier League giants Chelsea, but the Blues could not sign Johnson due to a transfer ban.

Fortunately, Volendam took a punt on the Grenadian and offered him a trial. After impressing the Dutch side, Johnson put pen to paper on a three-year deal and was shocked at how quickly his life had been changed through Rising Ballers, stating: "When I found out, I was like wow. Am I really going to go to Holland? Change where I am living. It is a crazy feeling and it still doesn’t feel real. It is 100% a very big career step for me and it could lead to big things. It could lead to greater success in the Netherlands or back in England."

After working his way through the Under-21s, the non-league import broke into Volendam's first-team and featured 25 times in the top flight of Dutch football in 2023/24, where he netted a goal and chipped in with two assists. The winger left the club at the end of the season, following relegation to the second tier.

Johnson returned to England this summer in the hopes of finding a new club and was most recently on trial with Wycombe, where he played 30 minutes of a friendly against Watford. Since then, nothing has been heard about whether the 24-year-old is still with the club, or whether the trial was ultimately unsuccessful. However, fans were left impressed with his quick feet and skill on the ball in the victory over the Championship side.

As for Wycombe, their wide department could do with one more strong addition, to provide competition for Kieran Sadlier, Garath McCleary and Beryly Lubala. Johnson is still only 24, which aligns with the age of signings that have been made so far. Of course, having been on trial with the Chairboys is already a massive boost to the Grenadian's chances of securing a contract, as he would've already pleaded his case to his potential new boss.

Fans got a brief glimpse of Johnson during the Watford friendly as mentioned before, and it's fair to say he impressed in his brief cameo with dazzling skill. However, Bloomfield would've seen more of the winger on a day-to-day basis in training, which would have a big impact on the outcome of the trial.

Able to play on both the right and left, the ex-Volendam winger offers good versatility, which has been a key quality of Bloomfield's previous signings. Whilst he may not be the first name on the team sheet every week, he can learn from senior players such as McCleary to help develop his game, as they seem to be very similar players. With McCleary unlikely to be around much longer, Johnson can learn from him to become his potential successor, which would be smart long-term business for Wycombe.

Jamal Baptiste

Age: 20 - Position: CB - Ex-clubs include: Man City, West Ham

There is a sense of surprise that Baptiste is yet to be signed by any clubs so far this summer, as the 20-year-old has an impressive CV with the likes of West Ham United and Premier League champions, Man City.

The defender has been on trial with Championship newcomers Portsmouth for three weeks this summer, featuring in a handful of pre-season friendlies including a 4-0 defeat to the Chairboys. Pompey boss John Mousinho revealed that Baptiste has multiple offers on the table for the upcoming season, though it's unclear who those clubs are. Since his trial on the south-coast side ended, news on the former City defender's future has been scarce.

Mousinho didn't seem too optimistic about Baptiste returning to the newly promoted side, so many Wycombe fans might think that they have no chance of enticing the young centre-back to Adams Park. However, as a 20-year-old, game time will be at the forefront of the ex-Hammer's mind. If the Chairboys could offer him more playing time than the other options he has, that could certainly swing things in Wycombe's favour.

Sadly, new signing Alex Hartridge has had a less-than-ideal start to life at Wycombe. A costly mistake against Wrexham followed by a red card in the following game left fans doubting the 25-year-old, and an extra defensive reinforcement would be a welcome addition, as Bloomfield's men lack depth in that department.

Currently, Joe Low, Ryan Tafazolli, Hartridge and young Declan Skura are the only natural centre-backs at the club. If two of these were to get injured or suspended, it would throw the defence into disarray, so the Wanderers' manager must be wary of this.

After Tuesday's triumph at Northampton, the Chairboys looked very comfortable in a 3-5-2 formation which could be the way forward for Bloomfield. However, thanks to the absence of Hartridge, they will most likely be unable to play this formation against Birmingham City on Saturday as they lack the defenders to fit the back three.

If Wanderers were to sign Baptiste, it would offer another dimension to their defence, as well as provide competition and cover for the other four currently at the club, making it easier to use the stronger shape of the back three. Having learned his trade from some of the best academies in the world, the only way is up for the 20-year-old as he'll be looking to return to the top flight later down the line.

On a free transfer as well, this deal is a no-brainer if the player is interested. Wycombe have a great reputation for developing youngsters over recent years, and would be able to sell Baptiste on for a significant profit, should the ex-Man City man succeed.