Breaking: Mitch Pinnock and Aaron McGowan to leave Cobblers after turning down new deals

The pair, who arrived at Sixfields in 2021, are out of contract this summer but manager Kevin Nolan had wanted to keep them around and they were among the five players offered new deals after the last game of the 2024/25 League One season.

However, with time running out, neither the club nor the players have been able to come to agreement. The two depart on good terms with both keen to move back closer to home to spend more time with their young families.

Pinnock was the first to arrive in the summer of 2021 when Jon Brady brought him to Sixfields from Kilmarnock. Having already played for several clubs, including AFC Wimbledon and Dover Athletic, the 30-year-old made himself at home at Northampton. He racked up exactly 200 appearances, scoring 25 goals, and has been a mainstay of the side over the last four seasons.

McGowan joined Cobblers a month after Pinnock and he too was a key figure as Cobblers won promotion from League Two under Brady and then established themselves in League One, captaining the team on numerous occasions. He made 131 appearances in total and scored three goals.