Shock as Peterborough United skipper placed on transfer list, plus full retained and released lists

The 28 year-old has scored 74 goals in 147 appearances for Posh since moving to London Road from Bristol Rovers for a reported fee of £1 million in August 2020. Rovers are understood to be entitled to a percentage of any profit Posh make on a future deal for a two-time winner of the League One Golden Boot.

Former club captain Oliver Norburn has also been placed on the transfer list along with a handful of players who helped Posh to promotion from League One in the 2020-21 season as Posh seek to build a younger and pacier squad for the 2023-24 season.

Youth and pace

Posh promotion winners from two seasons ago, Frankie Kent (27), Dan Butler (28) and Christy Pym (28) have have all been made available for transfer as have Josh Knight (25), Jeando Fuchs (25), Ben Thompson (27) and Joe Tomlinson (22). Another promotion winner from 2020-21, defender Nathan Thompson (32), has been released after Posh declined to offer him another contract. Young full-back Ben Mensah (20) has also been released.

Midfielder Thompson was only signed by Posh last summer as was winger David Ajiboye (24), but the latter has been retained, along with, perhaps surprisingly, Joel Randall (23), and a host of other young players namely Will Blackmore (21), Harrison Burrows (21), Manu Fernandes (21), Ricky-Jade Jones (20), Hector Kyprianou (21), Ephron Mason-Clark (23) and Kwame Poku (21). Central defender Charlie O’Connell (20) will also form part of the first-team squad with Aaron Powell (20) expected to be one of two senior left-backs.

Posh paid Exeter a million pounds for Randall in August, 2021, but he has started just two Football League matches for his current club.

Posh are committed to signing striker Kabongo Tshimanga (25) as part of the deal that allowed him to move to London Road on loan from Chesterfield in January.

Ronnie Edwards (20) and Jack Taylor (24) are also on the retained list, but Ferguson expects both players to be sold, if the right offers come in.

The club have offered Joe Ward (27) a new three-year contract and are awaiting a response from the long-serving player.

Loan players Will Norris (Burnley), Kell Watts (Newcastle) and Nathanael Ogbeta (Swansea) have returned to their parent clubs.

Norris has since been released by the Division One champions.

POSH LISTS

Released: Benjamin Mensah, Nathan Thompson.

Offered new contract: Joe Ward.

Transfer listed: Jonson Clarke-Harris, Oliver Norburn, Frankie Kent, Josh Knight, Dan Butler, Jeando Fuchs, Ben Thompson, Joe Tomlinson, Christy Pym.

Retained: Will Blackmore, Harrison Burrows, Manu Fernandes, Ricky-Jade Jones, Hector Kyprianou. Ephron Mason-Clark, Kwame Poku, Kabongo Tshimanga, Joel Randall, David Ajiboye, Jack Taylor, Ronnie Edwards, Charlie O’Connell, Aaron Powell.