Southend United have become the latest National League side to confirm their retained list, with a big update confirmed regarding the future of one of their key players.
The Shrimpers reached the play-offs for a second consecutive campaign under departing manager Kevin Maher, but fell to defeat against Scunthorpe United in the quarter-finals.
They did however bounce back in the FA Trophy, defeating Wealdstone on penalties to add another trophy to their cabinet and now attention can shift onto next season.
Southend confirm update on sought-after star
Following their failure to clinch promotion back to the EFL, Southend have made some big decisions both on and off the pitch in an attempt to try and go one better next season.
Manager Kevin Maher will bid farewell to Roots Hall this summer once his current contract comes to an end and now they have announced their retained/released list, kickstarting plans for next season.
Gus Scott-Morriss has earned his fair share of plaudits for his performances so far this season, but this has allowed midfielder Leon Parillon to emerge as an underrated antagonist for Southend during the 2025/26 campaign.
During their retained list, Southend confirmed that Parillon is under contract for next season, meaning interested side Notts County will need to pay a fee to sign him this summer.
Earlier this month it was also reported that Parillon was set to join Notts County, however a fresh update from Echo News confirmed that the bid was in fact rejected.
Whether Notts County return for the 24-year-old could depend on whether they beat Salford City in this weekend’s League Two play-off final.
What does the retained list tell us about Southend’s 2026/27 season?
Despite a series of players with expiring contracts, only five have been released (for now), whilst a further seven remain in negotiations.
James Morton, George Wind, Cav Miley, Tom Hopper and Josh Walker have all been released immediately – but of those only one (Morton) started in their play-off semi-final defeat.
Initially, the retained list could have been significantly worse, but things could change due to the number of key assets that remain out-of-contract.
Scott-Morriss is one of those seven, whilst FA Trophy hero Collin Andeng-Ndi and midfielder Keenan Appiah-Forson also face uncertain futures.
Elsewhere, journalist Pete O’Rourke has also reported that defender Nathan Ralph and midfielder Jack Bridge are both expected to leave the club this summer to join National League South side Chelmsford City.
Southend narrowly missed out on the top seven two years ago, but have since reached a play-off quarter-final and a play-off final – though they are yet to make it over the line.
Therefore, with significant changes occurring both on and off the pitch in the coming weeks, the retained list continues to suggest that supporters are potentially in for a busy few months as they try to make it back to the EFL once again.