The 7 Carlisle United players set to leave as a free agent this summer | OneFootball

Highlights

Carlisle United have struggled with the jump up to League One.

They've made big investments to try and improve their squad in the January transfer window, but they haven't fully clicked yet, and relegation back to League Two is edging ever closer.

The January window was also a busy one for them in terms of outgoings. Three players whose contracts were expiring in the summer left before the deadline on 1st February, with star midfielder Owen Moxon joining Portsmouth, Ryan Edmondson moving down under to Central Coast Mariners, and Joe Garner joining National League outfit Oldham Athletic.

Carlisle's books that are into the last six months of their current deals, and this is who they are.

The club captain came back to his hometown club last season and was part of a solid defence that spearheaded the side towards their eventual playoff final victory. He's struggled with injuries this season, which is more than understandable given that he's 36-years-old. His age could be a big factor in whether he gets offered a new deal.

Jordan Gibson

After not being as regularly used in the prior campaign, Gibson has more than come to life in the 2023/24 season. He's been the club's standout player, and is by far their top scorer. He can divide opinion at times, but even those who get annoyed with him have to marvel at some of the performances he's produced in a poor side.

Sean Maguire

Given the Irish forward's Championship pedigree, fans were expecting more from one of the club's premier summer signings. The early indications were promising, but he's struggled with consistency in both minutes and performances since the first month of the season. He was only given a one-year deal on arrival, which could be indicative of whether he'd be offered a fresh deal in the summer.

Gabe Breeze

At the start of the season, many Carlisle fans wouldn't have been too negatively affected had Breeze left the club. Sure, he'd come through the youth system and into the first team, but he hadn't played a single non-friendly game for the club. That was until Boxing Day 2023, when, after a run of games where former number one Tomas Holy made some huge mistakes, Breeze was given his chance. He played four consecutive league games, and became a cult hero for that period.

Off the back of this, he was offered a new deal by Carlisle, but he rejected this offer, as per the News & Star. Manager Paul Simpson said that the club and the keeper's agent were: "a long way apart," in what they were asking for, but that he still believed that a deal could be agreed between the two parties.

Tomas Holy

The Czech keeper will always be remembered by Carlisle fans for his penalty save at Wembley that, ultimately, sent them back to League One. He was the club's goalkeeper right throughout the 22/23 campaign, and the images of him holding the winner's trophy with Simpson will live long in the memory.

Things haven't been quite as good this season though. He's struggled for consistent game time, with the manager seemingly trying to replace him from the off. He's been more mistake-prone, and Simpson's eagerness to bring in a new number one in January will probably lead to Holy leaving in the summer.

Corey Whelan

Whelan is another player who stepped up when needed in the playoffs, despite not playing too consistently throughout the season, and fans will be grateful to him for that. He's also had multiple chances to leave the club, with offers being made for him in both the January and summer windows in 2023, but he chose to stay in Cumbria. With his contract expiring in the summer, it might not be long until he eventually moves on from the club.

Josh Emmanuel

The full back was the first signing of the Piatak era at Brunton Park; one that should mark a much brighter future, even if the short-term doesn't look very good. Emmanuel joined in late November and made a good first impression in his first game against Charlton, which was also the club's first game under the new ownership. He's struggled with inconsistency and injury since then, so it remains to be seen if he'll be offered a new deal at the end of the season.