All 24 EFL League Two clubs' summer transfer window ranked from worst to best | OneFootball

EFL League Two clubs have been ranked from 24-1 on their summer transfer window business for the 2026/27 season...

League Two is rarely short of unpredictability, and that is part of what makes the division so fiercely competitive. The transfer window shut recently and each side has been ranked on their window overall.

Promotion contenders can quickly emerge from unexpected places, while a poor run of recruitment or the failure to adequately replace key departures can leave even an established side looking vulnerable. With the summer transfer window representing the main opportunity for clubs to reshape their squads, the business done over recent months could therefore have a significant bearing on how the 2026/27 campaign unfolds.

Once the window closes, managers will largely have to work with the players already at their disposal until January, aside from the possibility of strengthening through the free-agent market. That puts even greater emphasis on getting recruitment right, with clubs needing to strike the right balance between improving their starting XIs, adding depth, and maintaining enough continuity to avoid unnecessarily disrupting what already works.

So, which of League Two's 24 clubs have enjoyed the best summer, and who could have reason to worry? GoHumanize, an AI text humanization platform and software tool, has applied its AI technology to the summer transfer window to assess how each club's business has affected its overall squad quality.

Using verified transaction data, market valuations and underlying performance metrics, the GoHumanize AI Squad Quality Score evaluates the pitch-ready strength of each 25-man squad on a scale of 0 to 100. The model considers market value, performance and elite-player factors, as well as depth, balance and squad attrition, to produce a score for both last season and the current campaign.

Here, all 24 League Two clubs' summer transfer windows are ranked from worst to best according to how much their Squad Quality Score has changed.

24 ? ? Shrewsbury Town — 67.5 to 67.0 (-0.5)

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Shrewsbury Town are the only side to have suffered a bigger drop in Squad Quality Score than anyone else this summer, according to GoHumanize, slipping from 67.5 to 67.0. That is a concerning position for Gavin Cowan's side, particularly after relegation, with the club currently looking short and facing pressure to survive now that the window has closed.

23 ? ? Port Vale — 71.0 to 70.8 (-0.2)

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Port Vale's score has only dropped marginally, from 71.0 to 70.8, but that still makes their summer the second-least successful in the division according to this ranking. Given their relatively high starting squad score and presumed promotion ambitions, the Valiants will have wanted to improve their options further and ensure their transfer business matched their ambitions.

22 ? ? Newport County — 58.2 to 58.5 (+0.3)

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Newport County have technically improved their Squad Quality Score, but only by 0.3, with their rating rising from 58.2 to 58.5. That leaves them among the weakest squads in the division according to GoHumanize's current model, behind only Rochdale and Walsall, and suggests there remains significant work to do this season if they are to survive the drop out of the EFL again.

21 ? ? Crawley Town — 59.5 to 59.8 (+0.3)

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Another club to have made only marginal progress in terms of their Squad Quality Score this summer are Colin Kazim-Richards' Crawley Town. Their rating has risen from 59.5 to 59.8, with an improvement of just 0.3, placing their transfer window among the least impactful in League Two and leaving room for further additions in January for what looks to be another battle to fend off relegation.

20 ? ? Colchester United — 60.9 to 61.2 (+0.3)

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Colchester's United's score has increased from 60.9 to 61.2, but their 0.3-point improvement is the joint-third smallest across League Two. The U's have not moved backwards, which is important, but GoHumanize's rankings suggest their summer business has not yet significantly altered their squad's overall strength compared to many of their divisional rivals.

19 ? ? Grimsby Town — 60.1 to 60.5 (+0.4)

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Another side with a small improvement this summer, Grimsby Town have seen their Squad Quality Score rising by 0.4 points from 60.1 to 60.5. However, that limited increase places them towards the bottom of the transfer-window rankings. The Mariners will feel Jaze Kabia's departure to Leyton Orient, while Sonny Finch will hope to replace his output after joining from South Shields.

18 ? ? Rochdale — 55.5 to 56.0 (+0.5)

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Rochdale's score has improved by 0.5 points, but they remain ranked as League Two's weakest squad overall by GoHumanize, with a current SQS of 56.0. That makes their start to the campaign more understandable, as even modest improvements elsewhere could leave them struggling to close the gap on their rivals during what promises to be a competitive campaign.

17 ? ? Walsall — 57.0 to 57.5 (+0.5)

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Walsall have made a similarly modest improvement, moving from 57.0 to 57.5, but remain the second-lowest-rated squad in the division according to the scores. Their summer has therefore brought some progress without dramatically changing the overall outlook, meaning Lee Grant has work to do to improve their standing among the League Two pack.

16 ? ? Gillingham — 68.4 to 69.0 (+0.6)

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Gillingham's Squad Quality Score has risen from 68.4 to 69.0, which represents a modest 0.6-point improvement. That puts their summer firmly in the middle-to-lower section of these rankings, with GoHumanize suggesting there is still work to be done if they are to be a serious contender under Gareth Ainsworth. If the Gills are to mount a serious play-off challenge, they will need to be much better than the last two campaigns underhim.

15 ? ? Crewe Alexandra — 67.9 to 68.5 (+0.6)

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In 15th is another side to have registered a 0.6-point increase, taking their score from 67.9 to 68.5. It represents steady rather than spectacular progress for Lee Bell's Crewe Alexandra, placing their summer around the middle of the League Two rankings. With the current score leaving them below several promotion rivals, it makes their start more impressive.