The 6 Notts County players set to leave as a free agent this summer | OneFootball

These six players will be departing Meadow Lane at the end of the season, if nothing is done.

With the January transfer window now over, attention within EFL clubs will already be turning towards the summer window.

Teams will be looking to plan ahead and assess which players will be remaining at the club beyond the end of the current season, and which will be pulling on the shirt for the final time over the coming months.

For Notts County, it promises to be an extremely exciting second half of the season. Stuart Maynard’s Magpies are flying high in League Two and are firmly in the hunt in the race for the automatic promotion spots.

Notts haven’t been in the third tier since back in 2015 and will be desperate to get themselves over the line this term.

However, their current situation does add another element which must be considered when they consider their prospective squad for next season. The Magpies do not yet know which division they will be playing in, so they will have to prepare for both eventualities.

With that in mind, FLW takes a look at some of the players who will depart Meadow Lane as free agents in the summer, if nothing is done.

David McGoldrick

Having already bettered his League Two goals tally from last season, McGoldrick has been a revelation so far in 2024/25.

‘Didzy’ has found a new lease of life this term and has become more important to Stuart Maynard and Notts than ever before, given the absence of Dan Crowley.

He has produced several big moments to secure points for Notts this season and has continued to build a catalogue of impressive goals.

Now nearing the end of the two-year deal he signed in the summer of 2023, McGoldrick’s future will surely depend on his aspirations within the game.

He rejected an offer from Derby when he made the switch to re-join his boyhood club in 2023, which would suggest that money is not a concern to him at this stage of his career. Now 37, McGoldrick has proved that he still has plenty to give, and would certainly be capable of contributing effectively, regardless of which division Notts end up in next year.

When you throw in the positive influence he is around the club and the professionalism with which he carries himself, you would imagine it is highly unlikely Notts won’t offer him renewed terms for at least one more season.

Assuming McGoldrick is not yet ready to retire, it is surely more than likely he will remain at Meadow Lane next term.

Sam Austin

Austin has continued to prove himself as one of Notts’ most versatile players this term.

One of the few remaining members of the squad that sealed promotion to the Football League at Wembley back in 2022/23 Austin has performed admirably in a number of positions this campaign.

He’s dealt with spells in his preferred attacking midfield role, but also both wing-back positions with impressive ease, and has only slipped out of the team of late as a result of a minor injury he has suffered.

Austin is certainly nothing flashy, and it’s very rare he’ll ever attract much attention or praise from beyond Meadow Lane, but as usual, he has been a very steady, reliable performer for Maynard’s men.

If Notts remain in League Two next season, it would be a huge surprise if the former Kidderminster man isn’t offered a new deal. Even if the Magpies do get promoted, he could be a valuable man to keep around.

Charlie Whitaker

One of Notts’ additions this month, Whitaker is only on this list due to the nature of his deal.

The attacking midfielder made the switch to Nottingham after enjoying a superb first half of the season for Everton’s Under 21s side in Premier League 2. A six-month deal proved to be well suited for all parties for Whitaker’s first venture into senior men’s football, meaning his stay at Meadow Lane could be an extremely short one.

The early signs have been positive so far though, and the 21-year-old impressed on his first start in the win at Gillingham last weekend.

If Whitaker continues to prove himself at League Two level, it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see his Meadow Lane stay extended beyond the summer.

Sam Slocombe

As expected, Slocombe has hardly featured for Notts this season. Alex Bass has come in and provided a massive improvement to the Notts number one shirt after last season’s uncertainty saw no less than three ‘keepers make league appearances for Notts.

Slocombe’s only league appearances this season have come in the EFL Trophy and EFL Cup.

With Bass on a three-year deal, he has already been lined up as Notts’ long-term option, meaning there is more than likely no route back for Slocombe, barring an unexpected injury.

The 36-year-old has been a great servant to Notts, having made over 160 appearances for the Magpies over his six years with the club.

It seems increasingly likely that Notts’ current longest serving player will be leaving in the summer.

Robbie Cundy

Unfortunately, things just haven’t worked out for Cundy at Meadow Lane.

He joined the club having been released by Barnsley in the summer and Notts only handed the 26-year-old a one-year deal, in order to minimise the risk of taking Cundy, who has been very injury prone over the last few seasons.

The 27-year-old’s first drop into League Two since the 2020/21 season simply hasn’t gone to plan. Opportunities for him to break into the side have been few and far between and on the odd occasion he has featured, he has looked uncharacteristically shaky.

There is undoubtedly ability there; Cundy worked his way up to playing Championship football with Bristol City back in 2021/22, but it could well take a move away from Meadow Lane for his career to get back on track.

Madou Cisse

A young prospect who is very highly thought of at Notts, Cisse has continued to make positive strides in his development this season.

A tidy and reliable footballer, Cisse made his first league start for Notts in the 3-2 defeat at Walsall back in December.

He’s also featured on the bench several times in the last few months, and has been a regular part of Notts’ squad in all three cup competitions this term.

He’ll likely need to put on some size if he ultimately is to make it at Football League level, but right now, he is the youngster who is closest to becoming a genuine part of the first-team squad by a considerable distance.