National League news – January 2025

BBC Sport tracks the latest news stories from the National League, including managerial announcements, new signings and contract extensions.

Check out the gossip page for the latest rumours, use our transfers page to track signings made by English Football League clubs or read more National League news from December.

22 January

Braintree Town have extended the loan of Barnet forward Jermaine Francis for the rest of the season.

The 22-year-old Grenada international has scored three goals in 16 National League appearances for the club so far this season.

21 January

Gateshead have signed MK Dons defender Callum Tripp on loan until the end of the season.

The 18-year-old had made seven appearances in all competitions for the League Two side this campaign.

Maidenhead have extended the loan of Hartlepool defender Emmanuel Onariase until the end of the season.

The 28-year-old joined the Magpies in December and has made four appearances.

Wealdstone have signed defender Connor McAvoy on loan from Premier League side Fulham until the end of the season.

The 22-year-old centre-back had a loan spell at the Stones during the 2021-22 season.

20 January

Oldham Athletic have signed midfielder Tom Pett on loan from Cheltenham Town until the end of the season.

The 34-year-old has been with the Robins since November 2023 and has played 27 games this campaign in League Two.

18 January

Ebbsfleet United have signed 22-year-old left back Alex Lankshear on loan from Blackpool until the end of the season.

They have also brought in Ipswich Town midfielder Ryan Carr, 20, who spent the first half of the season on loan at Gateshead.

17 January

Forest Green Rovers have made two signings in one day, bringing in Bristol Rovers midfielder Luke Cormick and Woking defender Cian Harries.

Cormick, 25, who has made 118 appearances across two spells with the Gas, has arrived on loan until the end of the season, while left-side centre-back Harries, 27, has signed on a more permanent, undisclosed-length deal.

Boston United have signed forward James Gale on loan from League One Mansfield Town for the remainder of the season.

Gale scored three times in 15 National League games for Solihull Moors during his stint there earlier in the season.

Meanwhile Boston have confirmed midfielder Dan Mooney has left the club after making 17 appearances for the Pilgrims since arriving last summer.

Wealdstone have signed free agent Will Randall, who was released by Ebbsfleet United at the start of the year.

The 27-year-old has previously played for Wolverhampton Wanderers, Sutton United and Notts County in a career spanning more than 10 years.

16 January

Aldershot Town have announced the loan signing of Luca Woodhouse from Wycombe Wanderers for the season.

The 20-year-old defender has made one senior appearance for Wycombe this season, but has spent the first half of this campaign on loan at Dagenham & Redbridge.

Oldham Athletic have signed forward Billy Waters on an 18-month deal after he was released by League One side Wrexham.

The 30-year-old spent the first half of the season on loan at Halifax and scored five goals in 18 National League appearances.

Halifax Town have loaned forward Luca Thomas from Leeds United for the remainder of the season.

The 20-year-old spent the first half of the campaign with fellow National League side York City, scoring twice in his 10 appearances.

Blackpool defender Dan Sassi has joined AFC Fylde on loan until the end of the season.

The Stoke City academy graduate spent two months on loan to Rochdale in September before returning to the Tangerines, but has not made an appearance for the League One side this season.

14 January

Defender Tom Parkes has signed an extended contract with Hartlepool United.

The new 18-month deal will keep the 32-year-old with the National League club until the end of the 2025-26 season.

Solihull Moors defender Finn Howell has joined National League North Oxford City on loan for one month.

The 19-year-old has featured in two National League games and two FA Cup ties for the Moors this season.

Aldershot quartet Lachlan Byrd, Ollie Turner, George Milner-Smith and Billy Walsh are to go out on loan.

Byrd joins National League South side Hampton & Richmond Borough until the end of the season.

Midfielder Turner and defender Milner-Smith are to join Southern League Premier South outfit Chertsey Town on loan for a month.

While Walsh joins Hendon in the Isthmian League Premier in another month long loan deal.

Boston United have re-signed forward Jimmy Knowles on loan from Accrington Stanley until the end of the season.

The 22-year-old scored 20 goals for the Lincolnshire side last season as they were promoted from the National League North before joining Accrington in the summer.

Altrincham have extended the loan of forward Jake Bickerstaff from Wrexham until the end of the season.

The 23-year-old’s deal was due to expire on 14 January having initially joined the Robins at the end of August.

13 January

Braintree Town have made a double loan signing from Luton Town.

The National League strugglers have brought in defenders Jacob Pinnington and Aidan Francis-Clarke until the end of the season.

Gateshead have signed Brighton striker Louis Flower on loan until the end of the season.

The 20-year-old could make his debut for the Heed against Halifax on Tuesday.

Oldham Athletic have signed goalkeeper Jake Dennis on loan from Cardiff City until the end of the season.

The 20-year-old is yet to make a first-team appearance for Cardiff and spent part of last season on loan with Gloucester City as they were relegated from National League North.

Ipswich Town defender Jokubas Mazionis has joined Woking on loan until the end of the season.

The Lithuanian started his career with spells in the academies of West Ham United and Arsenal.

10 January

Yeovil Town have extended the loan of midfielder Kofi Shaw from Bristol Rovers until the end of the season.

The 17-year-old has scored two goals in eight National League starts since initially joining the Glovers in October.

Aldershot Town have signed defender Will Armitage on loan from Premier League side Southampton for the rest of the season.

The Shots have also extended the loan of defender Dan Ellison from Bristol Rovers until the end of the season – he has made 10 appearances since first arriving in September.

AFC Fylde have signed experienced defender Chris Stokes after he left League Two Barrow earlier this month.

The 33-year-old has signed initially until the end of the National League season.

Goalkeeper Adam Smith has signed a new contract with Hartlepool which will see him stay with the club until at least the end of next season.

Thirty-two-year-old Smith will also retain his position as the club’s goalkeeping coach.

Oldham Athletic have signed midfielder Jordan Rossiter on loan from Shrewsbury Town until the end of the season.

The 27-year-old, who counts Liverpool and Rangers among his former clubs, has made 15 League One appearances for Shrewsbury this season.

Midfielder Max Sheaf has joined Gateshead on an 18-month contract after leaving Scottish Premiership side Ross County.

The 24-year-old, who started his career with Hull City, has not played first-team football since appearing for Ross in a 3-2 defeat by Rangers in April 2024.

Wealdstone midfielder Elliot Simmons has left the club after his contract was terminated by mutual consent.

The 26-year-old moved to the Stones in June but spent the majority of his time at the club on loan at Bedford Town.

9 January

Barnet have signed forward Lee Ndlovu from National League South side Boreham Wood.

The 30-year-old has agreed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the National League promotion chasers.

Winger James Gale has been recalled from his loan with Solihull Moors by parent club Mansfield Town.

Gale scored three goals in six National League starts.

York City defender Darragh O’Connor has joined Scottish Championship leaders Falkirk on loan until the end of the season.

The 25-year-old made four league appearances for the Minstermen this season but has not featured since suffering an injury in September.

Meanwhile, midfielder Luca Thomas has returned to Leeds United after spending three months on loan with York, scoring two goals in nine league appearances.

Sutton United have signed forward Henry Sandat from Hull City on a permanent contract.

The 19-year-old began his career at Southend United before moving to Hull in 2023.

He returned to the Shrimpers on loan for the second half of last season and spent the first half of this season on loan at Wealdstone, where he scored one goal in 14 appearances.

Boston United have signed Lincoln City midfield Oisin Gallagher on loan for the rest of the season.

The 20-year-old spent the first half of the season on loan with National League North side Peterborough Sports.

8 January

Ebbsfleet United midfielder Wes Fonguck has left the club on an 11-month loan deal to play in the USA although the name of his new team has not been disclosed.

Fonguck joined the Kent side on a two-year deal from fellow National League club Southend United in July.

Meanwhile Ebbsfleet have confirmed Sha’mar Lawson’s loan from Millwall has come to an end with the midfielder returning to his parent club because of an injury after making six National League appearances.

Gateshead have extended the loan of defender Dan Jones from Port Vale until the end of the season.

The 30-year-old has made 17 appearances in all competitions since initially joining in September.

Boston United have signed Fleetwood goalkeeper Tom Donaghy on a one-month loan deal and extended the loan of attacking midfielder Tony Weston from Derby County until the end of the season.

Donaghy, 21 spent time on loan in National League North with Hereford in the first half of the campaign, while Weston, also 21, has made 14 National League appearances for the Lincolnshire club since initially joining at the start of the season.

Meanwhile, Boston have confirmed on-loan Notts County goalkeeper Aidan Stone and Sheffield Wednesday defender Sam Reed have returned to their parent clubs.

Woking have confirmed defender Max Dyche has been recalled from his loan by Northampton Town.

The 21-year-old made 25 appearances for the National League Club this season, scoring two goals.

Rochdale have extended the loan of forward Leon Ayinde until the end of the season.

The 20-year-old has made seven appearances for the club since joining from Premier League side Ipswich Town earlier this season.

7 January

Dagenham & Redbridge have signed centre-back Chris Francis on loan from Crystal Palace for the rest of the season.

The 22-year-old joined Palace’s academy in 2023 and made 18 appearances for their under-21 side last season.

Blackburn Rovers goalkeeper Felix Goddard has joined Ebbsfleet United on loan until the end of the season.

The 20-year-old spent last season on loan at League of Ireland Premier Division side Dundalk.

The Fleet have also landed a loan deal for Leyton Orient midfielder George Moncur that lasts the remainder of the campaign.

The 31-year-old – who joined the O’s in 2022 after spells at Luton Town and Hull City – was earlier recalled from Southend United where he spent the beginning of the season on loan, making 13 league appearances and featuring once in the FA Cup.

Ebbsfleet have also extended midfielder Alex Aoraha’s loan deal from Queens Park Rangers by another month.

The 21-year-old will joined the club at the start of December and will remain at Stonebridge Road Stadium until 1 February.

Forest Green Rovers have parted ways with midfielder Jacob Maddox.

The 26-year-old former Chelsea prospect made 21 appearances in all competitions after signing for the club at the start of the previous campaign, but leaves the Rovers having featured just once this season.

Yeovil Town have re-signed striker Ciaran McGuckin on loan from Rotherham United until the end of the season.

The 21-year-old Northern Ireland youth international scored three goals in six appearances during a loan spell at the National League side earlier in the campaign before being recalled by his League One parent club in late October, playing three times since.

6 January

Southend United boss Kevin Maher has had the red card shown to him during their 1-0 home defeat by Yeovil Town in November rescinded following a disciplinary hearing.

Maher was sent off in stoppage time at the end of a the first half but will now face no further action.

Blackburn defender Charlie Olson will remain with Altrincham until the end of the season.

The 20-year-old centre-back has made nine appearances across two loan spells with Alty during the first half of the season and will now remain at the club until May.

Sutton United have signed goalkeeper George Evans on a 28-day loan from Championship side Millwall.

The 19-year-old Lions academy product joins on a short-term deal following injuries to keepers Jack Sims and Steve Arnold.

4 January

York City have completed the signing of forward Josh Stones from Wigan Athletic for an undisclosed fee.

The 21-year-old scored four goals in five starts for York’s National League rivals, Oldham Athletic during a two-month loan spell earlier this season.

York have not disclosed the length of Stones’ contract.

Altrincham have signed defender Kacper Pasiek on loan from Preston North End for the next month.

The 19-year-old, who has also spent time on loan with Marine in National League North this season, is yet to make a first-team appearance for Preston.

Woking have signed former Republic of Ireland and Millwall striker Aiden O’Brien until the end of the season.

O’Brien, 31, gained five international caps in 2018 and 2019, scoring in a 1-1 friendly draw with Poland in Wroclaw, and joins on a free transfer after leaving Irish side Shelbourne on New Year’s Eve.

Braintree Town have confirmed goalkeeper Lucas Covolan will leave the club after the expiry of his contract.

The Brazilian, 33, joined The Iron in August after leaving Maidstone United and has played 13 times for the club.

3 January

Oldham Athletic striker Kofi Moore has joined Northern Premier League West side Nantwich Town on loan for the remainder of the campaign.

The 20-year-old has failed to make a first team appearance for Oldham this season.

Dagenham & Redbridge have extended the loan of striker Junior Morias from Notts County until the end of January.

Morias has scored seven goals for the National League club since initially joining in July.

Daggers midfielder Ralph Vigrass has joined Southern Premier League South side Walton & Hersham on a one-month loan deal.

The 19-year-old has made six appearances for the Daggers in the National League this season but is yet to start a game.

Braintree Town have signed goalkeeper Henry Gray on loan from Premier League side Ipswich Town for the rest of the season.

The 19-year-old joined the club’s academy in 2023 and spent part of last season playing for National League South side Chelmsford City.

AFC Fylde goalkeeper Theo Richardson has joined National League North club Hereford on loan for the rest of the season.

The 26-year-old’s last appearance for Fylde was a 5-0 home defeat by Altrincham in October.

Solihull Moors forward Finley Holmes has extended his loan at Southern League Premier Central side Bromsgrove Sporting until the end of the season.

The 18-year-old has scored three goals in four games for Bromsgrove.

Maidenhead United have extended Thierry Latty-Fairweather’s loan deal until the end of the season.

The 22-year-old York City defender has made 15 league appearances for Alan Devonshire’s side this season.

Barnet have recalled striker Finley Wilkinson from his spell at National South St Albans City with the 22-year-old joining their divisional rivals Chelmsford City on loan until the end of the season.

Wilkinson also spent time on loan with Barnet’s fellow National League side Braintree earlier this season, scoring one goal in seven appearances.

2 January

Oldham Athletic have announced on-loan forward Josh Stones has returned to his parent club, Wigan Athletic.

The 21-year-old scored four goals in six appearances for Oldham.

Meanwhile, goalkeeper Magnus Norman has joined National League South side Dorking Wanderers after being released by the Latics.

AFC Fylde have extended midfielder Will Hugill’s loan deal from Burnley by a further month.

The 20-year-old has started all four matches he has been available for and is in contention for the Coasters’ trip to Halifax Town on Saturday.

Ebbsfleet United have confirmed Will Randall has left the club following the expiry of his contract.

The 27-year-old winger joined the club in September and made seven appearances for the Fleet before moving to Dorking Wanderers on loan in November.

Woking midfielder Alan Judge and striker Deon Moore have both left the National League club after their contracts expired on 31 December.

Judge made five appearances since re-joining for his second spell at the Cardinals in November, while Moore played 10 games after signing in August.

Woking have also announced that Notts County left-back Adam Chicksen has extended his loan stay until the end of the season.

Chicksen, 33, signed for the Cardinals in October and has made 13 National League appearances already for the club so far this season.

Wealdstone’s Kallum Cesay has signed a new contract with the club until the end of the 2025-26 season.

The versatile 22-year-old, who can play in midfield or at full-back, has made 22 appearances in all competitions this season and scored twice.

Cesay was also named supporters’ player of the month for November.

Barnet have signed goalkeeper Owen Evans on loan from League Two side Cheltenham Town until the end of the season.

The 28-year-old has made 11 appearances this season and was previously at Walsall in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 campaigns, where he played 79 times in all competitions.