Stockport County have signed St Mirren forward Mikael Mandron on a one-year contract.
The 31-year-old arrives at Edgeley Park on the back of his most prolific season for five years, with his seven goals in eight ties helping the club to win the Scottish League Cup for only the second time in their history.
Altogether, he scored 13 goals and provided 10 ****** ists last season.
That was Mandron's third season at St Mirren Park, after a nomadic senior career spent at Sunderland, Eastleigh, Wigan Athletic, Colchester United, Gillingham, Crewe Alexandra and Motherwell, before he joined St Mirren in 2023.
Mandron joined Sunderland as a scholar at 17 after coming through the French youth system, and he was called up to the Scotland Under-20 squad in 2013.

#mirren #mandron #park #stockport

Southend United have signed midfielder Rico Richards from Port Vale for an undisclosed fee on a two-year contract, with a club option of a third year.
The 22-year-old spent last season on loan at Walsall where he made just one start in League Two.
Richards was previously part of the Stockport County squad which won promotion to League One in 2023-24, making 11 league appearances.
"I watched [Kieron Dyer - Southend United head coach] in games while I was growing up, and he's very experienced on the pitch, so I'm sure he can teach me a few things," Richards told the Shrimpers' website.

#united #walsall

No Championship head coach will have his side where they want them to be at this stage of pre-season, according to Bolton Wanderers boss Steven Schumacher.
The Trotters are preparing for their return to the Championship after beating Stockport County in the League One play-off final in May.
They beat Oldham Athletic 3-1 in their second pre-season friendly on Wednesday night having returned from a training camp in Slovakia last week.
"I don't think there's any team or manager standing here now saying they're exactly where they want to be," Schumacher told BBC Radio Manchester.
"We're still a long way physically from where we need to get to, tactically we still need to work on a few things. Defensively we've looked solid enough, really well organised and the attitude to defend has been really good."

#really #bolton

Leyton Orient have signed centre-back Joseph Olowu on a permanent transfer from Stockport County for an undisclosed fee.
The 26-year-old has agreed a three-year deal and becomes the O's seventh signing of the summer transfer window.
The move reunites Olowu with head coach Richie Wellens who signed him at Doncaster Rovers in 2021.
Olowu went on to make 126 appearances for the South Yorkshire side and won the League Two ***** le in 2025.
He then moved to Stockport County in the summer of 2025, making 31 league appearances as they reached the League One play-off final.

#olowu #signed #year

Burton Albion have signed goalkeeper Corey Addai from League One rivals Stockport County on a season-long loan.
The 28-year-old, who spent time on the books at **** nal and Coventry as a youth player, has featured 68 times for Stockport across all competitions since moving to Edgeley Park from Crawley in the summer of 2024.
Addai featured in back-to-back League One play-off campaigns for the Hatters, which culminated with him playing in their Wembley defeat by Bolton Wanderers in May as they missed out on promotion to the Championship.
Burton's sporting director Richard Dorman described Addai, who also counts Danish side Esbjerg among his former clubs, as "a top quality shot-stopper" who will be a "big presence" in the box for the Brewers.
All done deals in July 2026

Irish defender Christy Grogan has left Stockport County to join League of Ireland side Derry City.
Grogan, 20, moves for an undisclosed fee, subject to international clearance.
He joined Stockport from Stoke City last summer after 10 years with the Potters.
Grogan struggled to break through at Stockport and joined National League side Aldershot Town on loan in December after being restricted to just two appearances in the EFL Trophy.
County recalled him from his loan in April because of an injury crisis and he played two league games for the League One side.

Football has a habit of closing one door and leaving a lad to kick the next one open for himself. That is where Roman Dimine finds himself now, with the former Liverpool academy midfielder confirming his next step after leaving Anfield and signing for Stockport County.
As first shared on Instagram, the youngster announced: "Signed a 2-year contract at Stockport County. I'm incredibly grateful for this opportunity. Ready to work hard, keep learning, and become the best version of myself. Excited for what's ahead," and there is something admirable in the way he has handled every turn so far.
Dimine had already made clear earlier this year that his time on Merseyside was over. He explained that his "Liverpool journey has come to an end" and described the setback as "only the beginning", which told you plenty about his character. Plenty of young players drift when they are released. Others get their heads down, take the sting, and go again. This move suggests he belongs firmly in the second category.
Stockport are coming off a sickening end to the 2025-26 season. Third place in League One and a run to Wembley promised so much, only for Bolton Wanderers to hand them a painful 4-1 defeat in the play-off final on May 24, 2026. Missing out on the Championship clearly hurt, but their recruitment points to a club still thinking ahead rather than feeling sorry for itself.
That is where Roman Dimine comes in. He arrives at Edgeley Park on a two-year deal, stepping into an environment that still has ambition despite the recent disappointment. For a young player trying to reset, that matters.

Oliver Whatmuff has made his next step up in the English Football League ladder, moving into another promotion-chasing environment.
After executing a promotion-winning campaign with Rochdale in the National League, the highly-rated teenager is following his previous manager to Edgeley Park.
Having kept 18 clean sheets during his debut campaign in senior men’s football, the England under-19 international is now part of a significant rebuild at Stockport County.
Highly-rated Manchester City goalkeeper Oliver Whatmuff has joined League One side Stockport County on loan for the forthcoming 2026/27 season, it has been confirmed.
Whatmuff, who signed a professional contract at the Etihad Stadium in August 2025, has generated substantial interest across the Football League after a truly sensational breakout campaign in men’s senior football.

Stockport County have confirmed the signing of James Bailey after he permanently parted ways with Manchester United.
Earlier this month, United confirmed that Bailey had been released, alongside fellow academy starlets Sonny Aljofree and Malachi Sharpe.
Bailey joined United in 2021 from Burnley and went on to make his Under-18s debut at just 15.
That he made his Under-21s bow only four years later speaks volumes about his rapid development and the high regard in which he was held.
In 2025/26, Bailey made 13 appearances in the U18s Premier League. The teenager contributed one goal, which he netted in September against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Wigan Athletic defender Llyton Chapman has agreed a new three-year contract.
The 20-year-old made his professional debut in February against Stockport County and played nine times in League One last season, before sustaining a knee injury that required surgery.
"It has felt like home since the day I arrived, and I believe it is the perfect place to continue my development," Chapman said.
"The club has shown a lot of faith in me, and I am really determined to repay everyone."

Wales legend Mark Hughes has said he is "totally heartbroken" after the death of his son Alex aged 38.
Alex Hughes had spells at Stockport County and Wrexham before ending his playing career to work in player ******* ysis and recruitment.
He worked for Blackburn, Manchester City and Fulham, who were all managed by his father, before leading a private academy in Portugal.
He then became a player agent and in recent years worked for non-league clubs AFC Fylde and Morecambe before becoming player recruitment lead at League Two club Grimsby Town last July.
Former Manchester United, Chelsea and Wales striker Hughes paid tribute to his son in a statement released via the League Managers ******* ociation.