Carlisle United may have ended their run of back-to-back relegations, but ultimately missed out on promotion back to the EFL, leading to them having to make several significant decisions with their out-of-contract players.
Mark Hughes’ side finished third in the National League table, picking up 95 points from their 46 matches and automatically qualifying for the play-off semi-finals.
However, they fell to defeat on home soil against Boreham Wood, with Abdul Abdulmalik and Zak Brunt ending the Cumbrians’ promotion aspirations.
Following their inability to secure an immediate return to the EFL, Carlisle have wasted no time when it came to starting their recruitment plans off.
A magnitude of changes at Carlisle
The 2025/26 season saw the Cumbrians earn the right to be just 90 minutes away from playing at Wembley Stadium, but their aspirations of an EFL return fell at the final hurdle.
Carlisle aren’t the only National League team to confirmed their retained list, nor are they the first side that has made significant changes to their first-team squad ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.
In fact, their retained list confirmed that 13 players would be leaving the club, once their contracts came to an end next month.
Amongst those were 11 players that won’t have their contract renewed, as well as one player (Sam Hetherington) who has been invited back for pre-season with a possible view to a new contract.
Midfielder Jordan Jones was also let go, despite being under contract for next season. This was allowed after all parties agreed to mutually terminate his contract.
Experienced duo Charlie Wyke and Terell Thomas will also see their Carlisle contracts come to an end this summer, without renewal.
The full list of all 13 departing players is as follows…
- Jake Allan, Archie Davies, Josh Grant, Aaron Hayden, Sam Herherington (invited back for pre-season), Dan Hopper, Jordan Jones (mutual agreement), Sam Murray, Freddie D’onoghue, Thomas Randall, Ethan Robson, Terell Thomas & Charlie Wyke
Will change bring home the title next season?
Carlisle secured almost 100 points and still didn’t manage to get themselves over the line for promotion, suggesting that there are unresolved issues still impacting the club.
Hughes’ men did end their relegation run, but didn’t have enough to make an immediate return to the EFL.
Similarly, his contract as manager expires in the coming weeks and is yet to be extended, suggesting personnel changes might not be the only thing Carlisle need to consider.
Of the 13 that have departed, several of them are experienced players which may need to be replaced during the transfer window.
Elsewhere, forward Regan Linney ended the season with 10 goal contributions in his final 12 games across all competitions, which is a positive return given his struggles mid-way through the campaign.
The club have a decision to make regarding loanee Chris Conn-Clarke, following confirmation that he has been transfer listed by League One side Peterborough United.
With York City and Rochdale now out of the equation, there is an opportunity for Carlisle to try and secure the title this coming season, but need to ensure their summer recruitment propels them forward.
