Exeter City could be in Groundhog Day situation with ex-Blackpool, Man Utd man | OneFootball

It's Groundhog Day at Exeter City as the Grecians head towards another mid-table finish and we could be in for a repeat Demetri Mitchell saga, too.

You sleepily open your eyes to the sound of Sonny & Cher's 'I Got You Babe' floating through the air, and you realise it's Groundhog Day all over again.

Pretty much all Exeter City fans will have sympathy for Bill Murray's character Phil Connors from the classic 1993 film at the moment, because it feels like we're living in a real-world version of it.

But never mind what day it is, what year is it?

The 2024/25 season has been a near carbon copy of the 2023/24 campaign and the similarities are startling.

Both seasons started well with early positivity before results tailed off and then went into a nose dive.

We also had decent cup runs in both seasons, getting to the Fourth Round of the Carabao Cup and FA Cup respectively, facing Premier League opponents in both seasons as well.

Those runs papered over shocking autumnal league form as City slumped towards the drop zone only to be saved be good January transfer windows and a bit of a revival in the second half of the season.

And as the Grecians meander towards a mid-table finish this time around, with another 13th-placed finish still a possibility, there's another thing that's ringing a few bells as Demetri Mitchell approaches the end of his contract while out injured.

Demetri Mitchell's contract up in the summer

The former Manchester United and Blackpool wideman hasn't featured as much this season as he, the club, or fans would have liked after working back from a long-term injury that kept him out for just over 12 months.

It looked like he had suffered another major knee injury recently as deleted posts on X from the 28-year-old hinted that it was a serious setback.

However, tests have shown the news to be better than expected for the versatile winger, and he's only likely to be sidelined for around a month after minor surgery.

That does mean that he's unlikely to feature again this season, and we're once again left wondering if that's it for Mitchell's Exeter career with his contract up in the summer.

You'd be hard-pressed to find a City fan who wouldn't love Mitchell to be in Devon's capital next year, but those injuries are an issue.

He's played just 28 times in all competitions (1,125 minutes in the league) since hobbling off in the Carabao Cup loss to Middlesbrough on the 31st of October 2023, a spell that will be 19 months long come the end of his current deal.

While the injuries are a shame, they could be the reason why he stays again.

Latest Mitchell injury could be blessing in disguise

Given his quality and performances since arriving in January 2023, it would have been inevitable that he would have moved on last summer if not for that injury which kept him on the sidelines until November 2024.

A few niggly injuries and minor setbacks also followed, which meant he didn't start a game until December 21st.

There's no doubt that Mitchell only signed a new 12-month contract last summer because of his injury status and maybe his latest surgery will put potential suitors off and increase City's chances of retaining him.

Whatever happens, we should be in for another summer of fun and games with Mitchell as the prolific poster teases fans over his next destination, with highlights last summer including him preempting the club's announcement of a contract extension before attempting to throw supporters off the scent by posting a video of himself in Saudi Arabia on a jet ski during what was the first day of pre-season.

He's certainly a character and Exeter City is a better place with him livening things up on and off the pitch.

It's hard to say whether he'll stay of go this summer but those injuries will be a factor one way or another.

He's a quality player at League One level, and he'll certainly have people willing to take a gamble on him.

The question is, can City convince him to take the punt and remain in Devon's capital with the promise of progression next season and proof the club isn't just stuck in a monotonous Groundhog Day cycle of mid-table obscurity?