Football League World
·16 Juli 2025
Exeter City: Fresh Brentford swoop looks a match made in heaven after Oldham & Luton deals

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·16 Juli 2025
It's been a busy summer at Exeter City but the capture of Ethan Brierley on loan from Brentford could be the best bit of business this summer.
It's been a strange summer at Exeter City so far.
Rumours were thin on the ground and everything was suspiciously quiet until the transfer window suddenly exploded into life with the news that Caleb Watts had decided to leave the Grecians to join bitter rivals Plymouth Argyle on a lucrative long-term deal after turning down fresh terms at St James Park.
Radio silence then returned until the end of June when the club went transfer mad and brought in five players within a couple of days as the squad reported back for pre-season training.
Johnly Yfeko made his loan permanent before Stockport County's Ryan Rydel signed on for the season.
Luca Woodhouse and Jayden Wareham also arrived on permanent deals before a couple more loans were confirmed in the shape of Brentford's Ethan Brierley and the surprising return of Crystal Palace stopper Joe Whitworth for the 2025/26 campaign.
There's been quite a lot of noise about the outgoings, with Watts stealing most of the headlines.
Jake Richards' move to Luton Town felt underwhelming for him, but it's probably quite a smart choice assuming that the Hatters return to the Championship in short order.
Demetri Mitchell's move to Leyton Orient was a shame, but it appeared that City were not prepared to make him an offer given his wage demands and his injury record, which, all in all, is probably fair enough.
Ryan Woods also departed, heading north to Oldham Athletic in a cut-your-losses deal that feels perfect for City given the decline in his performances and minutes in the second half of last season.
All the incomings look decent on paper, but there's still plenty of work to do for Exeter boss Gary Caldwell and his backroom staff to bolster the squad.
However, one of the deals they got done early could prove to be the best, especially given the central midfield exits of Woods, Richards and Kevin McDonald at the end of his contract.
Brierley, the 21-year-old Rochdale native, captained the Bees' B team last season and if he's that highly rated by the west London side's setup, then he must be a decent player.
Tristan Crama was City's outstanding player last season and 12 months ago he trod the same path as Brierley has this summer, so if he can put in performances anywhere near that of his predecessor, then Exeter have got a great player on our hands.
There are spaces to fill in that midfield, with three leaving and only one arriving so far, so he should be in line for plenty of game time, with Caldwell admitting he's looking for a more streamlined first-team squad this season.
He looks to have the pedigree as well, and he's had a taste of men's football from a young age, playing 30 times for Rochdale in the 2022/23 season.
After a campaign captaining Brentford's B side last term, he was primed for a loan move this season, and it's little surprise that the Premier League outfit chose Exeter, given that he's the fifth loan to make the move between the clubs in the last two and a half years.
The midfielder looks dynamic, certainly more than McDonald and Woods, but has a touch of class about him going forward and in distribution that Richards lacks at his young age.
He's probably one of the more lower-key arrivals at Exeter so far this summer but, if all goes to plan, he could play a big part for the Grecians this season and don't be surprised if he puts in some eye-catching performances.
The only problem might well be keeping him beyond the end of the January transfer window.