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Swindon Town have signed defender George Cox on a free transfer.

The 26-year-old former Brighton & Hove Albion youth player has spent the last five years playing in the Netherlands, spending last season in the top flight with FC Volendam.

He joins other deadline-day signings - forward Danny Butterworth, who joins on a two-year deal, and goalkeeper Daniel Barden, who has agreed a season-long loan from Norwich City - and midfielder Gavin Kilkenny, who signed late on Thursday.

Kilkenny, 24, has arrived from Bournemouth for an undisclosed fee, having played 15 times in the Championship for the Cherries.

He has also had loan spells with Stoke City, Charlton Athletic and Fleetwood Town and has also signed a two-year contract.

"I needed a new home and now I feel like it's time for me to make this place a permanent home," the former Republic of Ireland U21 international said., external

"I like to get on the ball and get the team playing and I feel like I can bring that to the team."

Butterworth, who has joined from Carlisle United, began his youth career at Manchester United before moving to Blackburn Rovers' development team, making his senior debut at Ewood Park in August 2018.

The 24-year-old had a loan spell at Fleetwood during the second half of the 2021-22 season and joined Port Vale on a season-long loan in September 2022.

He has seven goals and three assists in 59 appearances in League One during the past two seasons.

Barden, 23, made two appearances for the Canaries in the Championship during the 2020-21 season.

The former Wales Under-21 international has had loan spells at Bury Town, Livingston and Maidstone United.

Swindon's latest deals follow the loan signing of Peterborough United striker Kabongo Tshimanga and bring manager Mark Kennedy's total number of summer recruits to 13.

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Swindon Town have signed Mansfield Town forward Tom Nichols on loan until the end of the season.

The 31-year-old has played more than 500 games for clubs including Exeter City, Bristol Rovers, Peterborough United, Gillingham and Crawley Town.

He moved to Mansfield a year ago for an undisclosed fee from Gillingham and has scored three goals in 26 appearances.

Nichols, who has not played since the end of October, joins a Swindon side one place and four points above the League Two relegation zone.

"I've not played many games lately and I just can't wait to get back playing - and playing for points," Nichols told the Swindon Town website., external

"I know results haven't been amazing this season - but it's a very big club and a big fanbase and I've always kept an eye on what Swindon are doing.

"As soon as they said they were interested, it was a no-brainer for me to come and join the club."

Robins manager Ian Holloway added: "I've been a Tom Nichols fan for years. I've tried to sign him three different times for three different clubs.

"He links play, he's got a fantastic football brain. He's never beaten at all in his life, he always fights."

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Swindon Town have signed Burnley forward Joe Westley on loan until the end of the season.

The 20-year-old spent a month on loan at National League side Rochdale in October and scored three times in a 13-game loan at fellow National League side AFC Fylde last season.

Westley, who has come up through the Clarets' academy, has yet to make an appearance for Burnley's first team.

"Joe is an exciting player that is going to add to our forward utility," Swindon manager Ian Holloway told the club website, external.

"It's the skillset he has that I like. He will push all of our forward players to their max and we have such a fantastic group that Joe will be able to integrate straight in."

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Swindon Town have signed goalkeeper Connor Ripley from Port Vale on a deal until the end of the season.

The 31-year-old joined Port Vale in July 2023 and made 79 appearances, including 23 starts in League Two games this season where he kept nine clean sheets.

Ripley has played over 300 games in the EFL during his career, including spells at Morecambe, Preston North End, Accrington Stanley and Oldham Athletic.

"I had spoken to Ian and it was a really simple decision after speaking to him, he's someone I can relate to and he's a manager I really want to work with," Ripley said.

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Swindon Town have offered new contracts to striker Paul Glatzel and four other players but defender George Cox is among eight released by the League Two club.

Glatzel, 24, scored three goals and provided five assists in 39 league appearances this season as Town finished 12th.

The forward joined from Liverpool in January 2024 having been a part of the Reds' academy since the age of nine.

He bagged his first goal for Swindon in the Robins' 2-1 defeat by Newport County in February 2024, and has gone on to score 13 in 64 games in all competitions.

Goalkeeper Connor Ripley has also been offered a new contract at the club, having originally joined from Port Vale on a short-term deal until the end of the season.

Ripley, 32, started 37 games for Town this season, keeping 14 clean sheets in all competitions.

Striker Aaron Drinan, 27, has also been offered fresh terms, as have goalkeeper Jack Bycroft, 23, and midfielder Nnamdi Ofoborh, 25.

Left-back Cox, 27, was not offered a new deal, having not featured regularly in the starting line-up since he broke his foot in January.

Pharrell Johnson, Sean McGurk, Jake Cain, Tariq Uwakwe, Grant Hall, Anton Dworzak and Saidou Khan have also been released.

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Swindon defender Joel McGregor has signed a new contract with the club until 2027.

The 19-year-old former academy player, who has been with the Robins from the under-12 age ranks, made his first-team league debut in April 2024.

He progressed to a more regular role this campaign, making 24 appearances in all competitions.

"The manager, Ian Holloway, has had a huge effect on all the players and the energy around the club this year," McGregor said in a club statement.

"Everyone is really positive about the future and getting the chance to learn under him for the next few years played a big part in me signing my contract extension at the club."

Swindon Town ended the 2024-25 season in 12th place in the League Two table.

[themaclad]

Swindon have signed forward Tom Nichols on a permanent deal following his release from Mansfield Town.

The 31-year-old has been with Ian Holloway's Robins on loan since January and played 20 games, scoring two goals.

"I spoke to the manager towards the end of the season and he said he'd love for me to stay next season - as soon as he said that, this is where I wanted to come," Nichols, who has signed a two-year contract, told BBC Radio Wiltshire.

"I've really enjoyed my time here, the team did really well, we've got a really good squad of players."

Nichols has played more than 500 matches in English football for clubs including Exeter, Bristol Rovers, Peterborough, Gillingham and Crawley.

Despite being a forward throughout his career, Nicholls played in an attacking midfield position and a deeper defensive role towards the end of the campaign.

"It was really exciting moving deeper, I really enjoyed it, it was like a fresh challenge," he said.

"I think I played there a month, four or five games and it was almost like a new lease of life.

"It was a new position and I felt like I was improving as the games were going on."

[themaclad]

Swindon Town have signed former Chesterfield midfielder Darren Oldaker on a two-year contract.

The 26-year-old was released by the Spireites this week after captaining the club when they won the National League last year.

The former Dorking Wanderers player scored six goals in more than 100 games for Chesterfield after joining three years ago.

"I'm thrilled to be here and eager to get started," Oldaker told the Swindon website.

"Swindon is a club with great ambition and a family club with great values and supporters.

"Every conversation I've had with [Swindon manager] Ian Holloway has really resonated with the style of football I want to play, and the ambition of the manager and the club perfectly aligned with me."

[themaclad]

Forward Paul Glatzel has signed a new two-year contract with Swindon Town.

The Liverpool youth product, who has represented both England and Germany at youth level, joined the Robins in January 2024 after spending two seasons on loan at Tranmere Rovers.

The 24-year-old has scored 12 goals in 65 appearances for Swindon since arriving at the County Ground.

The Liverpool-born player captained the under-18s at Anfield but was released without making a first-team appearance.

"I'm looking forward to building on the second half of the season and hopefully we start next season like we finished [2024-25] and we can keep going," Glatzel told BBC Radio Wiltshire.

"He knows I can play a few different positions, the last few games I played on that out wide right position and I was enjoying myself there, I was getting the minutes in, I was creating chances, getting assists and scoring a few goals.

"I think he just wants to see more of that, he wants to see me express myself and get on the ball and show everyone what I'm capable of. That's what I need to do and that's what I'm looking forward to doing."

[themaclad]

League Two club Swindon Town have signed midfielder James Ball on a two-year deal.

The 29-year-old made 21 appearances for AFC Wimbledon in the 2024-25 season as the south London club won promotion to League One.

Ball started his career with Bolton Wanderers and had spells at Stockport County, Stevenage and Rochdale before joining Wimbledon in 2023.

"If we look at Swindon in terms of form and how they performed at the back end of last season, then there's no better place to be," he told the club website, external.

Ball is the Robins' third signing of the summer after the arrivals of midfielder Darren Oldaker and defender Tom Anderson at the County Ground.

Swindon finished 12th in the table last season, eight points outside the play-off places.