[themaclad]

Salford have signed winger Connor McLennan following his exit from Aberdeen and loaned goalkeeper Joe Wright from Millwall until January.

McLennan, 23, has 11 goals in 150 appearances for the Dons, St Johnstone and Brechin during his career so far.

He spent last season on loan to Saints and has now agreed an initial one-year deal with Salford.

Wright, 22, has been at the Championship club since the age of 13 but is yet to make his senior debut.

He tasted first-team football with 14 games on loan to Bath City in National League South last season.

"It's a great opportunity for me to come to a fairly new club, rising through the ranks," Wright said.

"There's great ambition here, so I'm really looking forward to getting started."

On his move south, McLennan said: "I fancied a change, I know a few boys down here and Callum Hendry I played with at Aberdeen, I played against a few of them up the road as well.

"Coming down here is a new challenge, and once I spoke to the manager it was something I'm really looking forward to doing."

[themaclad]

Salford City have brought in defensive pair Declan John and Ethan Ingram on deadline day loan deals.

John has signed on loan from Bolton Wanderers until January, while Ingram has moved from West Bromwich Albion on a season-long loan.

Wales international John, 28, has played 92 games for the Trotters.

Ingram, 20, is yet to play in the Championship but he did start the Baggies' EFL Cup game at Stoke City last month.

The full-back has represented England at U17, U18 and U20 age-group levels.

But he will now be part of Neil Wood's first-team squad at the Peninsula Stadium.

[themaclad]

Salford City have signed midfielder Jez Davies on an 18-month deal from Premier League side Burnley.

The 19-year-old had been with the Clarets since December 2022, when he joined from Tottenham Hotspur.

Although Davies did not feature for the first team at either Turf Moor or Spurs, he was a regular at under-21 level for the two.

"I'm technical, physical, I like to get about the pitch and work hard," Davies told the club website.

"I've been playing under-21s football at Burnley but I'm ready to start my next chapter, playing men's football in the league.

"A couple of my friends play for a League Two side and they're telling me it's going to be physical, but I'm ready for the challenge."

[themaclad]

Salford City have signed winger Dan Chesters on loan from Premier League side West Ham United until the end of the 2023-24 season.

The 21-year-old joins having previously played in League Two during a loan spell with Colchester United.

"I can't wait to get started in training and hopefully get some minutes," he told the club website.

[themaclad]

Salford City forward Junior Luamba has signed a new two-year deal.

The 20-year-old signed for the club in September and has gone on to make 14 league appearances this season.

"He's got the power and pace and what needs to come with that is assists and goals," boss Karl Robinson told BBC Radio Manchester.

"He's someone who is developing. I've never seen pace like his in 15 years of doing this. He is the fastest player I've ever had."

[themaclad]

Salford City striker Callum Hendry has signed a new deal to remain with the League Two club until the end of the 2024-25 season.

The 26-year-old joined the Ammies in 2022 from Scottish side St Johnstone and finished his first campaign with 14 goals from 49 appearances to help them to the League Two play-offs.

He has scored a further nine goals in 29 appearances this term but missed part of the season with a knee injury.

“I’m happy to be here for another year, and hopefully we can be up at the right end of the table challenging for promotion again," he told the club website.

“This season certainly hasn’t gone the way that we thought it would, or the fans hoped it would, for one reason or another."

[themaclad]

Salford City striker Matt Smith said he will leave the League Two club with a "heavy heart".

Smith has scored 44 goals in 119 appearances for the Ammies since joining from Millwall in January 2022.

That includes a career best of 25 goals this season, beating his previous highest tally of 14 with the Lions in the Championship in the 2019-20 season.

"My time at Salford City has come to an end," the 34-year-old, who is out of contract this summer, wrote in an open letter to the club., external

"Whilst I write this with a heavy heart, I’ll always be so grateful to everyone at the club, none more so than you, the fans, for your incredible support over the last three years."

Salford finished 20th in the league table after last weekend's 2-2 draw at home to Harrogate Town.

Their season, which featured a run of 11 games without a win, was in contrast to the previous campaign in which they were beaten on penalties by Stockport County in the play-off semi-finals.

"I’m so sorry I couldn’t help us to achieve that promotion which was my ultimate aim when I signed," Smith said.

"To come so close last season was a huge blow to me personally."

But Smith's scoring record has helped Salford steer clear of relegation trouble, as only Notts County's Macaulay Langstaff (28) and Blackburn's Sammie Szmodics (25) have more league goals than him in the top four divisions of English football.

"To leave as the club’s all-time leading scorer in the EFL, the third-highest scorer in the country right now, divisional team of the season, and your player of the year makes me very proud," he added.

"I’m going to take some time now to consider my next step, which includes opportunities away from playing."

[themaclad]

Salford City have released three players following their brush with League Two relegation.

On top of the loss of midfielder Elliot Watt and veteran striker Matt Smith, who had already announced that they would not be signing a new deal, Salford are letting go of Adrian Mariappa, Stevie Mallan and Connor McLennan.

Former Watford, Reading and Crystal Palace defender Mariappa, 37, joined Salford from Burton Albion in March 2022.

Ex-St Mirren, Barnsley and Hibernian midfielder Mallan, 28, arrived at the club in June 2022 on a two-year deal following a spell with Turkish Super Lig side Yeni Malatyaspor.

Winger McLennan, 24, joined Salford in July 2023 following his exit from Aberdeen.

[themaclad]

Salford City have signed winger Dan Chesters on a permanent deal from Premier League side West Ham.

The 22-year-old joined the Ammies on loan on transfer deadline day in February and made 13 League Two appearances.

Chesters has made two first-team appearances for the Hammers and also spent time on loan at Colchester united in the 2022-23 season.

He has agreed a two-year deal at the Peninsula Stadium and arrives on a free transfer.

“I cannot wait to get back with the lads for pre-season and meet up with everyone again," Chesters told the club website., external

“We want to start pushing on and winning loads of games and racking up the points this season - for me the main objective is to have a really good season, contribute with goals and to play well, taking players on and helping the team meet its aims of getting promoted.”

[themaclad]

Salford City have agreed to sign Burton Albion striker Cole Stockton when the summer transfer window opens later in June.

The 30-year-old, who came through the youth ranks at Tranmere, has agreed a two-year contract with the Ammies.

Stockton has scored over 100 goals in 440 career games, principally for Tranmere and Morecambe, and he helped the latter to promotion in 2020-21 before being named in the League One Team of the Season after scoring 23 times for them the following season.

He joined Barrow on loan for the second half of last season and scored seven goals in 17 games.

Stockton told the Salford club website, external: “The way the club is moving forward, I think it is going to be a good year for us, I really do, and I am excited to be a part of it."