No Nombe replacement: 2 transfer regrets Exeter City should have following summer window | OneFootball

Exeter City were busy in the summer transfer window, but Sam Nombe still hasn't been replaced 12 months after he left for Rotherham.

The transfer window has emphatically slammed shut, and Exeter City can be pretty happy with their work this summer.

A dozen players have signed on with a mixture of fees paid, free transfers and loan deals, meaning there’s now a fair amount of depth all over the pitch - an issue that was a big problem last season as injuries hit hard leading up to Christmas.

There were a few who got away as well, with Jordan Jones opting to drop into League Two and sign a three-year contract with Carlisle United probably being the most notorious.

While lots of areas have been addressed, let's take a look at two regrets the Grecians hierarchy may have moving forward past the end of August.

No Sam Nombe replacement at the top end of the pitch

The glaring omission for Exeter is still a proven goal scorer up top after Sam Nombe left the club over 12 months ago.

Josh Magennis was the big summer striking addition but he’s yet to score in competitive action for City this season. However, he looks a handy-enough outlet with good link up play, plenty of nous and much-needed physicality too.

The Northern Irishman has already got two assists this season, and that might prove to be his main role as the Grecians seem to have a potent arsenal of attacking midfielders.

Jay Bird has also been brought in from Arbroath, but the 23-year-old has been described as a long-term project by Caldwell, and is starting as fourth choice in the attacking department.

Heading into the international break City have scored in 18 consecutive matches in all competitions going back to last season, so you might think goals aren’t an issue, but they’ve been shared around a lot.

Midfielder Reece Cole was City’s top scorer last season with just seven goals, so a potent forward should have been high on Gary Caldwell’s wishlist this summer.

It was the biggest thorn in City’s side throughout 2023/24 and hopes were high that it would be addressed this summer.

Nombe scored 17 goals in his final season in EX4 before heading to Rotherham for a £1m, and he’s still not been replaced.

It’s thought that City tried though, with links to Newport’s Will Evans doing the rounds before he headed to League One rivals Mansfield.

There are, of course, hopes that Sonny Cox can be City’s double-figure goal getter at some point in the near future, but he’s had a slow start to the season after picking up an injury, while Millenic Alli could definitely be the main man but in reality he’s still only played a handful of games since arriving from non league in January.

Jones is the one that got away this summer - or at least the one we know about.

City were forced to scramble a little to bolster their left-sided attacking options after Yanic Wildschut’s season-ending injury in the friendly against Eastleigh.

Jones had departed Wigan Athletic before signing a short-term deal at the start of this season - only to mutually terminate it as the transfer deadline loomed.

Journalist Alan Nixon said a deal was done between City and the Northern Irishman, but he instead ended up at Carlisle, hinting the extra year on offer with the Cumbrians, and their location in the north of England, were the factors that swung it for him.

That move left a hole that still needed filling, and the Grecians turned to promising Huddersfield youngster Pat Jones as an alternative.

The Wales youth international was highly rated by the Terriers, but was never able to fully break into the first team and establish himself.

Pat Jones has left Yorkshire to join City on an initial one-year deal, and should get the chance to prove himself from the bench if he can stay fit, especially with Demetri Mitchell still some way off in his return to action after his ACL injury.

Jordan Jones however would have been more of a certain thing than Pat, but it’s never that straightforward at Exeter City.

He was certainly the one that got away, but with City's weakest position looking like being the wing-back roles, Pat Jones could prove to be the better longer term investment - there’s absolutely no certainty about that though.

However, unlike last season, at least City fans can be pleased to have largely filled all positions that needed filling and can look forward to the rest of the season with a deep squad that has sprinklings of real quality.