Newport County have finished their summer squad rebuild with the signings of Michael Adu-Poku, Kion Etete and Matty Jacob on transfer deadline day. The trio join as the League Two club, currently 14th in the table with four points from four games, aims to build on a start that has seen them score and concede nine goals.
Manager Hayden Mullins moved to strengthen his attacking options, bringing in the three players to compete in the final third. The BBC reported the signings, which take Newport's total new arrivals this summer to 15. Mullins said, "I'm delighted to welcome Michael, Kion and Matty to the club. They give us the qualities we need to compete."
Michael Adu-Poku joins from Watford for the rest of the season. The 20-year-old forward made a substitute appearance in Watford's 5-1 Carabao Cup defeat by Peterborough and has previous loan experience at Rochdale, Wealdstone, Barrow and Solihull Moors. Kion Etete, 24, arrives from Cardiff City also on a season-long deal. He scored nine goals across his first two seasons with the Bluebirds and had loan spells at Bolton, Rotherham United and St Mirren.
Matty Jacob is a 25-year-old defender who joins on loan from Hull City until January. He made 16 appearances on loan at Reading in the first half of last season before returning to Hull in January, where he played five times to help secure their promotion to the Premier League.
The arrivals address specific needs in Mullins's squad. Christian Doidge is the current first-choice striker, while Shaquille Gwengwe is often used in wider areas. With James Crole sidelined by injury and Tom Davies also out, the new forwards provide essential depth and competition.
Newport now have six loan players in their ranks: Alfie Merritt, Adu-Poku, Etete, Jacob, Tanatswa Nyakuhwa and Matt Dibley-Dias. Under EFL regulations, only five loanees can be named in a matchday squad, meaning Mullins will have to make a selection decision each week. The club's current league position, five points behind leaders Bristol Rovers, shows the need for immediate impact from the new recruits.
The flurry of activity concludes a major overhaul following Mullins's appointment. He took over after the club avoided relegation in the 2025-26 campaign under previous boss Christian Fuchs. The 15 new signings represent a complete refresh of the playing staff as Newport looks to climb the standings.
The team's recent form reads LDLW, and adding Championship experience in Adu-Poku and Etete could provide a spark. Jacob's experience in a promotion-winning environment at Hull is another asset. Their integration will be key as Newport handles a busy fixture schedule, details of which are on our fixtures page.
Mullins will hope the new attacking options can improve a goal difference that currently sits at zero. The manager's rebuild is now complete, and the focus shifts to gelling the new group quickly on the training ground. Matty Jacob's loan deal from Hull City runs until the January transfer window.
