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Exeter City have signed Milton Keynes Dons centre back Zak Jules for an undisclosed fee.

The 26-year-old has agreed an initial one-year deal with the option of a second and becomes the eighth new player to join the Grecians.

The former Scotland youth international began his career at Reading's academy and has played more than 150 EFL games.

He has had spells at Walsall, Macclesfield Town and a loan spell at Fleetwood Town in the 2021-22 season.

"I think he's experienced in League One, that is what we've been looking for, somebody that knows the league," Exeter manager Gary Caldwell said.

"He has had real success in the league finishing in the playoffs the season before last with MK Dons and he is somebody I know.

"Previously I signed him on loan at Chesterfield, so I know the character, I know the person and his career has really kicked on since then."

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Exeter City have signed Finland wing-back Ilmari Niskanen from Dundee United for an undisclosed fee.

Niskanen, 25, has agreed a two-year contract with the Grecians.

He spent two years in Scotland, making 53 league appearances after joining the Terrors from German side FC Ingolstadt.

"He is versatile and prominently a right-wing-back but has also played a lot on the left," Exeter boss Gary Caldwell told the club website.

"Having spoke to him he is very keen in learning and developing.

"He has never played in English football before and wants to come here to develop as a footballer."

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Exeter City have signed striker Admiral Muskwe from Premier League side Luton Town on season-long-loan.

The 25-year-old has made 22 appearances for the Hatters and scored two goals since joining them in July 2021.

He spent most of last season on loan at Fleetwood Town where he featured 17 times and scored three goals.

Muskwe, who came through Leicester City's academy, has also played for Wycombe and Swindon whilst earning five international caps for Zimbabwe.

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Exeter City have signed former Livingston centre-back Jack Fitzwater.

The 25-year-old free agent has agreed a two-year contract at the League One leaders after leaving the Scottish top-flight side in the summer.

He scored eight goals in 107 games for Livingston after joining from West Bromwich Albion in July 2020.

He made one FA Cup appearance for the Baggies and has EFL experience from loan spells at Chesterfield, Forest Green Rovers and Walsall.

"Jack is someone we had tracked for quite a while and I have had great references from contacts up in Scotland," Exeter manager Gary Caldwell told the club website.

"He has played a lot of games and fits the profile of player we are looking for, he comes into an already strong defensive unit and provides competition in that area.

"He has a really big future and we always look to bring in players who look to develop and improve."

Fitzwater is the 11th new player to move to Exeter since the end of last season, with the Grecians beginning the campaign with four wins and a draw from six games to lead the early League One table on goal difference.

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Exeter City have signed goalkeeper Shaun MacDonald on a short-term deal.

The free-agent former Cheltenham Town and Torquay United player, 26, joins the Grecians until January.

He comes in as cover, with first-choice goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo away on international duty with Finland and highly rated youngster Harry Lee out on loan at non-league Weston-super-Mare.

"Shaun has been in training this week and has shown a great attitude and work ethic," said Exeter boss Gary Caldwell.

"With Harry Lee out on loan at Weston-Super-Mare, we didn't want to call him back so Shaun will provide competition for Viljami Sinisalo and Gary Woods this season.

"Shaun is still a relatively young for a goalkeeper and we believe he can develop his game further under Kevin Miller and alongside the other goalkeepers at the club."

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Exeter City midfielder Reece Cole has signed a new deal to stay at the club until the summer of 2025.

The 25-year-old, who joined the Grecians in the summer on a one-year deal, also has an option to extend his new contract for a further 12 months.

Cole has played 17 times for City since joining on a free transfer in the summer after a spell at non-league Hayes & Yeading.

The former Brentford player also had spells at Dunfermline and Partick.

"I've come in and proven to myself that I could play at this level," Cole told the club website.

"I always knew it but it was about performing week in, week out, and I think I've done that and got the platform to express myself on the pitch.

"The manager was pleased with my work ethic day in, day out. I'm enjoying training and I want to be someone who steps up as a leader."

Exeter manager Gary Caldwell added: "Reece has had a fantastic start to the season with us and really shown his quality and his set-piece delivery, but I still think there is more to come from him.

"It was pretty early on that I decided to extend his deal. His fitness levels were much improved from when I knew him before and he's shown a real versatility on the pitch - we looked at it early and got it done."

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Exeter City have signed Fulham's Wales Under-21 attacker Luke Harris on loan until the end of the season.

The 18-year-old from Jersey has made four Premier League appearances and was called up to the Wales senior squad for the first time in September 2022.

He has also played twice in the Carabao Cup for Fulham and once in the FA Cup, after coming through their academy.

He is the first January signing for the Grecians, who slipped into the League One relegation zone this week.

Harris, who is contracted through to the summer of 2025 at Fulham, has impressed at youth and under-23 level for the Premier League club.

The Grecians had got close to bringing Harris to the club on loan in the summer, but the deal fell through shortly before the transfer deadline.

He is the second player from Fulham to move to Exeter in as many seasons after the successful loan spell for striker Jay Stansfield last term.

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Exeter City have signed Ross County defender Ben Purrington for an undisclosed fee on an 18-month deal.

The 27-year-old has also agreed an option to extend by a further year.

Exeter-born Purrington came up through the ranks of City's Devon rivals Plymouth Argyle before joining Rotherham United seven years ago.

He went on to spend three years at Charlton Athletic before agreeing a move to Scottish Premier League side Ross County in the summer of 2022.

He has played in all three tiers of the English Football League and made 23 appearances in Scotland's top flight.

"He's a player with great experience of this league and different leagues in England and Scotland," Exeter City manager Gary Caldwell told BBC Radio Devon.

"Some of our signings in January will be development signings and players who are younger and have potential.

"But we also need experienced players who know the level and understand the football club.

"He's an Exeter boy so he knows the club, he's a supporter of the team, and I think it's really important that we have those players with the younger players we bring in as they can help develop and mentor them.

"He's a fantastic signing. He can play in a number of positions up that left-hand side, so his versatility and the tactical flexibility that he will give us is important."

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Caleb Watts and Shaun MacDonald have extended their short-term deals at League One side Exeter City until the end of the season.

Australia Under-23 midfielder Watts, 21, also has an option for a further 12 months, having made six appearances since joining the Grecians on a free transfer in mid-September.

Goalkeeper MacDonald has played twice in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy.

The ex-Torquay United and Cheltenham Town keeper also arrived in September.

Meanwhile, talks with winger Yanic Wildschut about extending his current short-term deal are ongoing.

"Shaun has great standards every single day and has been a great addition, and you can see the four goalkeepers working hard every day to push each other," Exeter City boss Gary Caldwell told the club website.

"We can't underestimate what people like Shaun bring to the performance on a match day, whether than be in training before or during the match itself and how they contribute, such as Stevenage when he was running up and down the line helping defenders."

On Watts, he said: "Caleb burst onto the scene with his goal and debut and picked up that niggly injury followed by that more serious one he is still recovering from. He will be back on the grass this week and then over the next few weeks we will build his fitness.

"He is a player who has real quality and we felt like we should give him the opportunity to show that quality on a more consistent basis and build his fitness. Hopefully he will get the run of games he needs."

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Winger Yanic Wildschut has extended his contract at Exeter City until the end of the season.

The 32-year-old joined City on a short-term deal in September.

Wildschut, who has played for 12 clubs in England and Europe, has gone on to score twice in 21 appearances in all competitions for the Grecians.

"In recent games, especially Stevenage when he came off the bench to score, he's been a constant threat," said boss Gary Caldwell.

"He is a brilliant ball carrier to run us up the pitch, so we are delighted to keep him for the rest of the season and potentially longer.

"He knows this level and has played in other countries and leagues but he's also very well liked.

"He gets on well with the boys in the squad and they respect him so he has a big influence on the group in general.

"There were other clubs interested in him because he's done so well for us, but I think he's enjoyed his time here and it was a case of telling him what I needed from him and what the club could do, and financially the club has backed it again which is great."

Wildschut, who has won five caps for Suriname, is the third City player to extend his deal this week after Caleb Watts and Shaun MacDonald also agreed new deals at St James Park.