Newport County Sign Towering Striker Hamzad Kargbo After Successful Trial

Newport County continue to be active in the market as they seek to replace Will Evans, who has departed for Mansfield Town and have announced the arrival of Hamzad Kargbo, formerly of Queens Park Rangers, after the striker had been on trial with the club during pre-season.

It is all change for Nelson Jardim, who took charge this summer, as Omar Bogle has also left the club and they have brought in Courtney Baker-Richardson, who scored nine goals for Crewe Alexandra last season as they reached the League Two playoffs.

The Exiles finished the 2023/24 League Two campaign 13 points clear of the relegation places and their 18th-place finish was largely thanks to the form of star striker Will Evans, who scored 21 goals and provided a further three assists to sit just outside the top five in the race for the fourth tier’s Golden Boot.

The 27-year-old started last season in excellent form, scoring seven goals in the opening six matches as Newport County started the campaign with ten points in that spell. The forward’s work rate in addition to his goals helped the team avoid a relegation fight and he made 1.2 successful tackles per game across the season as he featured in each of their League Two outings.

Omar Bogle has left to join Crewe Alexandra and the former Birmingham City forward has been pivotal for the club over the past two seasons. He scored 17 goals in League Two in 2022/23 and was a key player last season, grabbing seven goals from just 25 appearances. He topped the club’s charts for shots and successful dribbles per game and scored a brace in an impressive 2-0 win at Gillingham.

Courtney Baker-Richardson has returned to Newport County having been on the books during the 2021/22 campaign, where he scored eight goals as the club secured an 11th place finish in the fourth tier. He has built a steady career at this level and is approaching a century of appearances in League Two, scoring 25 goals.

It is unlikely that he will be able to replace Will Evans but the club have today confirmed that former QPR forward Hamzad Kargbo has joined the club, subject to EFL clearance. The 22-year-old has had limited game time in his senior career but has earned a professional deal having been a prominent feature in Newport County’s pre-season schedule, appearing in four matches.

Speaking to the club’s official website, the player was happy to have agreed a deal with the club:

“I’m very excited. As soon as I first came here I could feel it in my heart that it was a place I wanted to be and here I am.

“Obviously it’s never easy coming in as a trialist, but I could see from my first training session that everyone is like a family here which made it easier for me because I was welcomed straight away.

“It has given me the chance to focus on working hard throughout pre-season to show Nelson what I can bring to the squad.”

Hamzad Kargbo has had loan spells with Oxford City and Southend United, without making too much of an impact at either club. It could be a difficult season at Rodney Parade, as they have lost their two most prominent attacking options and there are question marks over their additions.

They have Luke Jephcott in reserve and the 24-year-old was prolific in his time at Plymouth Argyle but he has struggled to replicate that form since scoring seven goals for Swindon Town in 2022/23. He has failed to score in his last 27 league matches and will likely play a supporting role this season, with Baker-Richardson the leading player in attack.

Adam is an accountant who is a massive football, boxing and UFC fan. He is a Liverpool and Sligo Rovers supporter with a passion for League of Ireland and Premier League football with a growing interest in the EFL. Adam has previously written for other sites before joining The Deck.