Three wing backs Crawley Town could sign

Crawley Town continue their pre-season preparations tomorrow afternoon (Saturday, July 11), giving Scott Lindsey another chance to assess his squad ahead of the new season and identify areas that may need additional depth.

Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

Lindsey's preferred system relies on wing-backs to provide width and energy in a back-three setup, but his current options on both flanks remain limited. As things stand, only four natural wing-backs are available: Harry Forster, Antony Papadopoulos, Dion Pereira, and Ade Adeyemo.

However, each option comes with question marks. Forster has struggled with injuries that have limited his game time, while Papadopoulos didn't start a single league match last season and was loaned out to Maidstone United for part of the campaign. 

New signing Dion Pereira spent last season in the National League and will need time to adjust to the demands of a higher division. Meanwhile, Ade Adeyemo offers attacking flair but has shown vulnerabilities defensively—most notably during Crawley's clash with Peterborough last season when he gave away a penalty in the dying moments. 

Unless Lindsey opts to experiment with players out of position, reinforcements in the wing-back department look increasingly inevitable before the new season kicks off.

Here are three potential wing back signings not including the trialists who featured in Crawley's win over Three Bridges that could fit in at the Broadfield Stadium:

Jaydn Mundle Smith 

Jaydn Mundle-Smith is a composed, left-sided defender who offers both versatility and defensive reliability. A product of the Fulham academy, he has gone on to make over 110 appearances in the National League, primarily with Wealdstone, where he developed a reputation as a dependable presence at the back. Naturally a left-back, Mundle-Smith can also operate as a left-sided centre-back in a back three—making him an ideal fit for teams like Crawley Town that favour flexible defensive systems.

He's not the type of full-back who grabs headlines, but his strengths lie in solid positioning, calmness in possession, and doing the basics consistently well. He reads the game intelligently, keeps things tidy, and plays simple, effective passes to maintain structure and control. While he may not push forward with the same aggression as some modern wing-backs, he offers balance and defensive security—particularly valuable in a system where wide players must juggle attacking duties with defensive responsibilities.

In short, Mundle-Smith is the kind of player who quietly improves a team's defensive shape and provides valuable depth on the left side—especially for a squad like Crawley's, which is still building out its options for the upcoming season.

Tennai Watson 

With experience in both a back four and as a wing-back, Watson's versatility perfectly suits Lindsey's preferred system, which relies on energetic, tactically aware wide players to provide width and support at both ends of the pitch.

Watson brings over 150 EFL appearances, a track record at clubs like MK Dons and Charlton, and the technical quality to play out from the back—key in Lindsey's possession-based approach. Despite a recent injury, his athleticism, composure on the ball, and ability to defend 1v1 make him a reliable option, especially with Crawley's current depth in wide areas still uncertain.

 His experience could also provide leadership to a relatively young squad, making him a low-risk, high-upside addition on a free transfer.

Josh Emmanuel