With the regular season drawing to a close, my mind has already started wandering toward the summer window. Whether we manage to clinch promotion or find ourselves preparing for another go at League Two, the squad is going to need some surgery.

I wanted to open a thread to see where everyone else’s head is at regarding two things:

1. The Retained List:

We’ve got a few players with contracts winding down this June. Looking at the squad, there are some tough calls to make. Players who are out of contract:

Rod McDonald
Matty Platt
Ollie Norburn
Maz Khouyar
Keanan Bennetts

is there anyone you'd List for transfer?

and;

2. The "Wish List"

If the Reedtz brothers handed you the reins this summer, where are you spending/saving?

Personally, I think we still look thin at the back with the Platt/Macari injuries, and I’d love to see more creativity/goal threat behind Jatta to take the pressure off.

Who is on your radar? * Are there any standout players from our League Two rivals you’d like to poach?

Should we be looking at the National League again for those "hidden gems" we love so much?

I’m curious to see if anyone else has given it much thought!

COYP!

I'll chip in as soon as the season's decided @NCFCGuy

If one of those out-of-contract players hits a late winner in the play-off final to become a Notts legend then they're definitely on my retained list

But the Platt/Macari situations probably means fewer gambles, more sure-things.

Looking at some of the reported salaries of a few, I think there is some who I would release/try and offload regardless, but I agree theres some difficult decisions to be made!

Whichever division we are in next season we are going to need some creative goal threats in the attacking midfield area just behind the striker, especially as we will be losing Iorpenda and Luker.

Macari goes thru to summer 2027 I think.

Having 2 first choice defenders out for most/a lot of next season already seems like quite a handicap.

What are the precedents for a player like Platt? Do clubs always or usually extend them - partly due to maintaining a positive reputation with potential signings and agents etc? Or are there cases of players like Platty being released as they go thru their rehab?

Was his injury a full-on achilles tear so minimum 9 months?

Milai Perott (the young goalkeeper) and Nick Tsaroulla are also out of contract (according to transfermarkt) and then we've got the option to sign Tangen.

For me it'll depend on what League we are in next season, if we make it to League 1 I think we'd need a big summer of solid recruitment to make sure we don't come straight back down so I'd only really be looking to re-sign one or two, Tsaroulla being the main one, and probably Platt too.

If we are in League 2, I think the overall team is solid, for me the focus would be on adding a couple of good attacking midfielders. So I'd keep McDonald and probably Norburn because I think he's proved, red cards aside, if he keeps his head he's a good option at this level. I'd try and get Luker because I think we haven't seen the best of him. Tangen was starting to look good before his injury, but I feel like I haven't seen enough of him to properly judge him though.