The 15 Exeter City players set to leave as a free agent this summer | OneFootball

There will be decisions to make over the the coming weeks for Gary Caldwell at Exeter City, as a number of players are set to see their current deals expire at the end of this season.

The Grecians are currently having a relatively tough time in League One, currently sitting nearer to the bottom of League One than many fans would deem comfortable.

Should they survive in the third division this season, it's likely the club will want to seek out reinforcements in the summer, but must also be wary that they don't let too many of their current players exit at once and disrupt the harmony in the dressing room.

Here are all the players that are currently set to see their Exeter deal expire at the end of this season...

Tom Carroll

The 31-year-old signed a one-year deal with the club last summer after impressing Caldwell in a week-long trial, despite spending the previous season without a club, having left former employers Ipswich Town in the summer of 2022.

He has been a key component of the Devon side, making 27 league appearances, 23 of which in the starting squad, in central midfield.

The manager clearly has faith in Carroll and, having racked up almost 100 Premier League appearances, he could provide vital experience for the upcoming challenges the club may face, so it's likely a scenario the Grecians will want to clear up quickly.

Alex Hartridge

Having come through the Exeter academy, the 24-year-old has since established himself as a mainstay in the Grecians' backline, starting in 24 of his 26 league appearances so far this season.

He signed a two-year extension in the summer of 2022, but even he alluded to the fact that this was unusual for him at the time, having only had one-year extensions previously, so his current scenario is not an unfamiliar one to him and has always previously ended in a fresh deal.

Letting his deal run so short could be a sign of how confident the club are that he will remain at St James Park, but such commitment to one club cannot be bought in the transfer market, so Caldwell will surely want a new deal finalised as soon as possible.

Harry Kite

Kite is another Exeter academy graduate that is set to see his terms expire this summer, having signed a similar two-year extension to Hartridge.

The 23-year-old midfielder struggled with a knee injury at the beginning of this season, but has since returned to fairly regular football under Caldwell.

Though he's not always been the first name on the team sheet this year, the club will likely want to keep hold of a promising young talent and leave their academy graduate spine intact, something that could be crucial if turbulent times are around the corner.

Demetri Mitchell

The ex-Manchester United man joined the Grecians from Scottish Premiership side Hibernian last January on undisclosed terms, signing an 18-month contract which is set to expire this summer.

The versatile attack-minded player has appeared 33 times for the club since signing last year, but will not appear for the Devon side again this season, having suffered an ACL injury that will keep him out until the summer.

How he recovers from this setback and any long-term prognosis from the club's medical staff is likely to play an important role in any deal that is offered, but it remains to be seen precisely what course of action is taken.

Zak Jules

The 26-year-old centre-back signed for the Grecians last summer, on an initial one-year deal with the option for a second, from MK Dons.

It has not yet been revealed whether the optional year has been activated, but having started in all 27 of his league appearances so far this season, it would appear both parties are currently happy with the arrangement and there are no obvious barriers to the clause being activated.

However, were the option not utilised, Jules would be able to leave the club as a free agent.

Caleb Watts

The former Southampton academy graduate has only appeared for Caldwell's side five times since joining as a free agent last summer, having been sidelined for much of the season with a hamstring injury, but the winger did score on his debut for the club.

He initially joined on a short-term deal that was extended until the end of the season last month, with the option to extend for another year.

Whether that option is activated will depend heavily on how Watts ends the season, should he manage to make a full return from his injury.

The club clearly have faith in the 22-year-old, having extended his deal despite him not playing much football at St James Park, but it's likely any longer-term decision is still yet to be made.

Kyle Taylor

The 24-year-old signed for the Grecians as a free agent after his deal with AFC Bournemouth expired in the summer of 2021, putting pen to paper on a three-year deal at St James Park.

He has appeared 50 times for the club since then, but has only made three league starts so far this season, being restricted predominately to cameos off the bench.

It would not be a surprise to see Taylor see out the remainder of his current contract this season, before going in search of more regular football elsewhere for the new season.

Yanic Wildschut

The 32-year-old winger signed a short-term deal with the club last summer that was extended until the end of 2023/24, with the former Ajax academy product making 21 appearances, the majority of which from the bench.

The extension alludes to the fact that the arrangement has worked for both parties so far, with Wildschut providing good cover and the ability to come on as an impact sub. Age will clearly be a factor here in any further extension agreement, but if both parties are happy with the current situation, there's no reason another year would be off the menu.

Cheick Diabate

The young centre-back graduated from Exeter's academy and went into the first team in the 2021/22 season, earning himself a two-year extension in the summer of 2022.

He has made 63 senior appearances for the Grecians and clocked 16 league appearances this season, starting the majority of those and seeing a good run of playing full 90 minute matches in recent weeks.

At 22 years old, the club will likely want to keep hold of their young academy product, but making such an impression at a young age for a centre-back may well provide Diabate with some tough decisions to make about his future in the summer.

Gary Woods

The 33-year-old goalkeeper signed a one-year extension last summer, having joined on a short-term deal after he departed Kilmarnock last season.

He has spent his time at St James Park in reserve, making just one league appearance for Exeter this season, but has not been included in a matchday squad since the beginning of October.

It would depend highly on how much cover Caldwell believes he has between the sticks, but it's unlikely this extension will be at the forefront of his mind at the moment.

Shaun MacDonald

The 27-year-old goalkeeper has taken Woods' position on the Exeter bench as the reserve shot-stopper, having joined as a free agent on a short-term deal last summer, before having his stay at St James Park extended until the end of this season.

Having good quality cover in this position is vital, even if games are hard to come by, so MacDonald's extensive senior experience in the National League with Torquay United is likely something Caldwell will want to hold onto unless a more suitable option becomes available.

Sonny Cox

The young striker signed his first professional deal with the club in the summer of 2021 at just 16 years old, despite the club claiming that he had attracted interest from Premier League clubs, and according to Transfermarkt his deal is set to be up this summer, though this is yet to be officially confirmed by the club.

Having spent some time on loan this season at National League South outfit Yeovil Town, he has also managed to net three goals and one assist for Exeter in League One this season.

Still only 19 years old, the club will likely want to hold on to their academy product if possible and continue his development at St James Park.

Gabe Billington

The 19-year-old was handed his first professional deal last March and has since made his senior debut for the club in the EFL Trophy.

It is thought that Billington's deal is set to expire this summer, according to Transfermarkt, but there has been no official confirmation from the club, so it remains to be seen whether an extension is confirmed.

The 17-year-old is another Exeter youngster that was handed his first professional contract last March and has also since made his senior debut in the EFL Trophy for the side.

his current deal is set to expire this summer, but this is yet to be confirmed officially by the club, as is any decision on his future at St James Park.

Joe O'Connor

The 19-year-old similarly signed his first professional deal with the club last March, also making an appearance in the EFL Trophy alongside two loan spells with non-league side Tavistock.

His current deal is listed on Transfermarkt as expiring this summer, but this is yet to be confirmed by the club along with any subsequent extension.