[themaclad]

League One leading goalscorer Louie Barry will be recalled from his loan to Stockport County by Aston Villa next week.

The former Barcelona youth wide man has scored 24 goals in 44 appearances for Dave Challinor's team since first joining on loan in the summer of 2023, helping them to promotion last season and into the play-off places during the current campaign.

The 21-year-old will play his final game of his loan spell in the home game against Birmingham City on New Year's Day, and will return to Villa Park for "assessment" by manager Unai Emery according to a statement, external on Stockport's club website.

Barry broke a post-war club record last season by scoring in seven consecutive league games and has won two League One Player of the Month awards in this campaign, after scoring 14 goals in 21 league appearances.

Barry will also be available for Stockport's last two fixtures of 2024, away trips to Huddersfield on Boxing Day and to Rotherham three days later.

He has been linked with a loan move to Leeds United, with Villa reportedly keen for him to be playing at a higher level.

[themaclad]

Stockport County have signed attacking midfielder Micah Hamilton on loan from Middlesbrough until the end of the season.

Hamilton has played 16 times since joining from Manchester City last summer, but he has only started twice in the Championship.

The 21-year-old made three appearances for City last season, including scoring a goal in the Champions League against Red Star Belgrade.

He is available to make his Stockport debut at home to Crawley Town on Saturday.

"Micah is a player with huge potential and quality, as seen from the glimpses in Manchester City's first team," County manager Dave Challinor told the club's website, external.

"His move to Middlesbrough hasn't quite turned out as everyone would have hoped, but they have belief in what he can achieve there.

"Both he and they feel that a move and a platform at our level can catapult him closer to that."

[themaclad]

Stockport County have signed Portsmouth midfielder Owen Moxon on a permanent deal as well as bringing in Barnsley striker Sam Cosgrove and Norwich defender Brad Hills on loan for the rest of the season.

Moxon, 27, has signed a three-and-a-half-year deal at Edgeley Park and joined for an undisclosed fee.

He made 28 appearances for Portsmouth, scoring one goal, after arriving from Carlisle a year ago almost to the day.

"Owen is a player who has been spoken about across the three years I've been at the club," Stockport manager Dave Challinor told the club website., external

"We feel we are adding an all-round midfielder that can play in the deeper role in an energetic manner, has a great range of passing, his set-piece delivery is outstanding and he can chip in with his share of goals.

"To have Owen, not just in the short term but beyond that, is really exciting and we feel he can grow with us. His motivation, as ours is, is to get back to the Championship as soon as possible."

Meanwhile, Cosgrove, 28, who won League One with Plymouth Argyle in 2023, has been brought in to boost Challinor's attacking options as the Hatters chase a play-off spot.

After spells at Wigan Athletic and Carlisle United, the target man scored 17 goals for Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership in the 2018-19 season with 23 more in all competitions the following season, including six in the Europa League.

He moved to Birmingham in January 2021 but though he appeared only 17 times for Blues, he had success on loan with AFC Wimbledon and Plymouth, netting a dozen goals as Argyle clinched the League One title.

After a move to Barnsley last season, half of his six Tykes goals came in the play-off semi-finals.

Hills, 20, spent last season on loan with Accrington Stanley in League Two and has made five appearances in all competitions for Norwich this campaign.

He could make his debut for the Hatters, who are fourth in League One, in Saturday's home game against Barnsley.

[themaclad]

Stockport County have released right-back Kyle Knoyle after the conclusion of their 2024-25 season.

The 28-year-old arrived from Doncaster Rovers for an undisclosed fee in January 2023 and helped the club to the League Two play-off final in his first season.

He then helped them win the League Two title the following season and to a third-placed finish in the third tier this term, playing in last week's play-off semi-final second leg penalty shootout defeat by Leyton Orient.

He is joined by Cody Johnson, 20, in exiting the club, the young midfielder making a total of 12 senior appearances for the Hatters.

Meanwhile, out-of-contract trio Ibou Touray, Fraser Horsfall and Callum Camps have been offered new deals ahead of the 2025-26 season while Will Collar and Macauley Southam-Hales remain in discussion with the club over a new contract.

Southam-Hales suffered a serious knee injury in February 2024 and was offered a new contract last summer as he continued his recovery before finally returning to action in November.

"You couldn't wish to meet a more dedicated and professional pair of players in Cody and Kyle, and whilst both players could easily be retained, we feel they may be able to secure better terms and playing opportunities elsewhere," CEO Simon Wilson said, external.

"We are in dialogue with several others regarding next steps and as soon as we have conclusive decisions we will update further. I appreciate fans (as we are) will be keen to see players commit, however deals must suit all parties and we all must respect the players' positions as they consider options."

[themaclad]

Stockport County have confirmed defender Ibou Touray and midfielder Will Collar will both leave the club when their contracts expire at the end of the month.

Touray, 30, made 75 league appearances in two seasons after joining from Salford City in June 2023.

Collar, 28, scored 32 goals in 150 league games for the Hatters and helped them win promotion from National League to League One.

On Collar, chief executive officer Simon Wilson told the club website:, external "He is rightly a man in demand, and we have had to respect that the decision around his next move has to be in the best interest of himself and his family,"

[themaclad]

Stockport County have made their first signing of the summer transfer window after agreeing a three-year deal with Doncaster Rovers defender Joseph Olowu.

The 25-year-old centre-back was a regular in Rovers' League Two title-winning campaign last season and turned down the club's offer of a new contract to join County.

Olowu came through the academy system at Charlton Athletic before continuing his development at Arsenal.

After failing to break into the Gunners' first team, Olowu moved to Doncaster in September 2021 and went on to make 144 appearances.

County boss Dave Challinor, who signed a new three-year deal 24 hours earlier, said he was "great business" to sign Olowu and knows the player thought hard about leaving the Keepmoat Stadium.

"I know it was a big decision for him, as he'd had a great season and enjoyed his time there," Challinor said.

"He was a player that we tried to sign in January, but understandably Doncaster wanted to keep him in to assist in their objective, which they achieved.

"To pick him up on a free transfer is great business for us and in my opinion we have a player who is in his prime years, but also has real development in him."

Stockport are preparing for another shot at promotion from League One next season after losing in the semi-finals of the play-offs last term.

[themaclad]

Stockport County have signed Peterborough left-back Tayo Edun on a free transfer.

The 27-year-old Fulham youth product will join Dave Challinor's side on a two-year deal after his contract at the Weston Homes Stadium expires at the end of the month.

Edun joined Posh from Charlton Athletic during the January transfer window and made 17 appearances, scoring twice.

He made two league appearances for Fulham, and six on loan at Ipswich Town, before heading on to Lincoln City, Blackburn Rovers and then Charlton.

The move comes in a busy week for the League One club, who reached the play-offs last season, after manager Challinor signed a new three-year deal before Doncaster Rovers centre-back Joseph Olowu joined on Wednesday.

Challinor told the club website, external: "Getting Tayo to the club is a big coup for us. He comes at a great age, with brilliant experience, and is someone we feel can have a big impact on our team.

"He's another player that has real adaptability in the positions that he plays, anywhere down the left-hand side, and he will add real quality to our group over the coming seasons."

[themaclad]

Stockport County have broken their transfer record to sign Peterborough United striker Malik Mothersille for an undisclosed fee on a three-year deal.

The 21-year-old Jamaica international scored 16 goals in 57 appearances for Posh last season.

The Hatters have not confirmed the exact fee but say it eclipses the £800,000 they paid Nottingham Forest for Ian Moore in 1998.

Mothersille joins the League One side on the same day fellow striker Tanto Olaofe left Stockport for newly-promoted Championship side Charlton.

"He was a player that was on our list, but we thought that not reaching the Championship last season may have scuppered any hopes we had," boss Dave Challinor told the club website., external

"This represents a big investment from the club into what we feel is one of the brightest prospects in the EFL."

Mothersille's contract also includes the option of an extra year.