Colchester United are facing a three-way League Two battle to secure Dorking Wanderers forward Charlie Carter.
Danny Cowley’s side are in the midst of a slow rise in fortunes since the former Lincoln City man took charge back in 2024, with two mid-table finishes since their close shave with relegation in the first months of his tenure.
U’s Eye Striker
According to TeamTALK’s Graeme Bailey, Colchester have identified a summer target in Dorking Wanderers forward Charlie Carter, with the 29-year-old coveting a lot of attention from clubs in League Two.
The former Stevenage man has been at the Surrey club since 2023, arriving on a free transfer from Eastleigh, and has been a consistent option up front, with this season seeing him score 14 times across all competitions.
Wanderers fell short once again in their ambitions of once again returning to the top flight of non-league, losing to Torquay United in the National League South playoffs, earning them a third straight season at step two.
However, Colchester are not alone in targeting a deal for Carter, with Bailey also reporting that Crawley Town and Newport County are in the mix, and will also face competition from the National League from both Yeovil Town and Southend United.
Is Carter A Good Replacement?
The end of the season sees Colchester United lose two of their forward options, with Will Goodwin heading back to Oxford United and Micah Mbick, who is already on an injury layoff, returning to Charlton Athletic.
They are unlikely to retain the latter given the January interest in the 19-year-old and Goodwin was far from impressive across his tenure in Essex, meaning that Cowley will have to find a couple of new options to support Samson Tovide and Jaden Williams.
Charlie Carter offers an interesting prospect in a transfer, and while he has limited EFL experience through his time at Stevenage, he failed to make a massive impact in his 81 appearances for the Boro.
At 29-years-old, he is an experienced head which can be used to add some depth to their ranks, but next season should see the emergence of Williams as a first-choice option after starting just five games across his 35 League Two appearances in his debut U’s campaign.
