Exeter City hoping Josh Key and Archie Collins will stay

Exeter City remain hopeful that academy graduates Josh Key and Archie Collins, and the experienced Kevin McDonald, will sign new contracts with the Grecians. All three are out of contract at the end of the season, and have been offered new terms to stay.

Key and Collins have been with City since their academy days and have become vital cogs in the first team that not only got promoted out of League Two but finished comfortably mid-table in League One. Both though have been linked with moves higher up the pyramid after impressing season after season.

Key has played 148 games for City since his debut in 2018, scoring eight goals, four of which were this season. In post-match interviews following the final game of the season, the 23-year-old wouldn’t be drawn on whether he would be back at St James Park.

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Collins, who has made 220 appearances for Exeter since his 2017 debut, scoring 14 times, still said he was considering the contract offer when asked about it just before the end of the campaign. The 23-year-old said at the time: “I haven’t made the decision yet. I feel like at this moment I just want to concentrate on playing and then will make the decision at the end of the season.”

“Josh and Archie are two Academy graduates and fantastic players that have given so much to the football club over a number of years,” manager Gary Caldwell said. “The offers that have been made to them are in hope they will stay as they will have offers from our league and leagues above and if they do go, we wish them well for the rest of their careers.”

With the pair being academy products and having been offered deals, City would be entitled to compensation if they were to move on elsewhere. Key has been strongly rumoured to be joining Championship side Swansea City, captained by former Grecians youngster Matt Grimes. The chances of Collins staying though are understood to be much higher, with sources saying it about 50/50 he would sign the contract offered to him.

The third of the trio offered deals is experienced midfielder McDonald. The 34-year-old became an instant hit at St James Park after joining in January, despite his lack of first team action. McDonald had been released by Dundee United at the end of the 2021/22 season and despite trials at numerous clubs in the first half of this season, he did not get fixed up with a club. He made 11 appearances, scoring three goals, before injury curtailed the campaign.