Morecambe have often struggled to pull themselves away from the drop zone upon their first season in League One but with the season drawing to a close, they are exactly where they would want to be.

Sitting in 19th place with two games left, there is every chance now that they could consolidate their place in the third tier and have another crack at pushing on next season.

With Derek Adams back in charge now - the man who originally led them to League Two promotion - he will want to really reshuffle and sort out the squad to his liking over the summer and ensure that they are well equipped to stay where they are.

With that in mind then, there could be plenty of players who aren't tied down to new deals - and here are the Morecambe men who may find themselves as free agents in the summer.

Toumani Diagouraga

The player has been absolutely pivotal for the club this season, featuring in 38 games and bagging two goals despite playing as a midfielder.

Even with the side struggling near the bottom end of the table, Diagouraga has been one of the standout and most reliable players for Morecambe over the course of the season. They won't want to let him go in a hurry but with his contract set to run out and plenty of League One sides no doubt taking note of the player, there could be interest in signing him on a free if they are relegated.

 

 

Greg Leigh

Leigh has featured equally as much for the Shrimps this campaign, with 35 League One outings and six goal contributions along the way.

The full-back has been pretty much a mainstay on the left flank for the club this season and having only been with the side since the summer, they won't want to let him go in a hurry.

However, there is yet to be a fresh deal on the table and it could mean that he enters the summer as a free agent and has to look for a new club.

Adam Smith

The 29-year-old has been with the club since February, with the side looking for a goalkeeper to stand in for them.

He's managed only one appearance though since joining and before that, he also struggled for gametime with Stevenage. With the player struggling to get onto the field, he might not have his stay with the Shrimps extended beyond the summer window.

If there isn't a new contract offered, then Smith will be another to enter the free agency market.

Ryan McLaughlin

Another player who has only been with the club for a season is McLaughlin, who has managed 23 appearances for the side since joining back in the summer of 2021.

Having previously played for Rochdale, he has come into the side and offered them some much needed experience and he's fared well on the right flank for the Shrimps when he has been turned to.

However, the 27-year-old was only signed on to a one-year deal - and could be on his way out this summer window.

Rhys Bennett

The defender has not been able to break into the first-team too regularly this campaign, with the player only managing nine starts since his move to the club back in the winter window.

He left Gillingham to make the move to Morecambe in January and has featured fairly frequently for the club since then - but it is not yet clear whether he has done enough to warrant a contract extension or not yet.

Ousmane Fane

The Frenchman has just the seven starts for Morecambe this season so far, with the 28-year-old another who only joined up with the League One side in January.

Rather than being tied to a long-term agreement though, he too has only been signed on until the summer. That could mean that, as soon as he has arrived with the Shrimps, he could be on his way out again.

The midfielder has been solid enough in the second half of this campaign and has been a regular - but as things stand, he too will be on the way out in summer.

Shane McLoughlin

Another of the short-term agreements for Morecambe is Shane McLoughlin.

He was signed at the beginning of the season as the club prepared for life in the third tier and has been a first-team regular, with 41 appearances and two goals so far. The midfielder has been decent enough in the centre of the field since being snapped up - but with the Shrimps only awarding him a one-year deal, he will be out of contract in the summer.

Unless a fresh agreement is put in place soon then, there could be teams queuing up to sign him.

Freddie Price

Price might be in his teens but he has already been turned to in the Morecambe first-team this season on three occasions.

Most of those have been off the bench but the youngster will be glad to get some more gametime under his belt. He has managed 19 career appearances so far and they must see some potential in the player to allow him to get onto the field already.

However, his current deal will run out in the summer - so Derek Adams will have to decide whether or not he will feature in the plans more for the club going forward.

Jacob Mensah

The 21-year-old was given an opportunity with Morecambe this season having been snapped up from non-league but has only managed one league appearance so far.

Instead, he has more readily been used in the matchday squad as an unused substitute. However, if there are no plans for him to be used more readily as a first-team option, then they may not decide to extend his deal beyond the summer.