The 10 players too good for EFL League Two | OneFootball

We named 10 current League Two players who are too good for the fourth tier.

It is shaping up to be an exciting end to the season in League Two.

At the top of the table, Bromley and Milton Keynes Dons are in pole position to achieve automatic promotion, while Cambridge United, Notts County, Salford City and Swindon Town will be hoping to claim a spot in the top three.

Grimsby Town, Chesterfield, Crewe Alexandra and Walsall are all battling for a place in the play-offs, and Oldham Athletic, Barnet, Colchester United and Fleetwood Town may feel they have an outside chance of reaching the top six.

At the other end of the table, Barrow, Harrogate Town, Crawley Town, Newport County and Tranmere Rovers are all fighting to save their EFL status, but Bristol Rovers and Shrewsbury Town seem to have done enough to avoid relegation after their respective managerial changes.

As the League Two campaign enters the run-in, there may be some who are setting their sights on playing at a higher level next season, regardless of how their team fare over the coming weeks, and with that in mind, we named 10 players who are too good for the fourth tier.

Fabio Borini - Salford City

It is fair to say that Salford City raised a few eyebrows when they announced the signing of striker Fabio Borini on an initial short-term deal in October.

Borini has spent much of his career playing at the highest level of European football, including spells in the Premier League with Chelsea, Liverpool and, most notably, Sunderland, where he scored 17 goals in 93 appearances.

The 34-year-old also had stints with the likes of Roma, AC Milan and Hellas Verona, while he spent the past two years in the Italian second division with Sampdoria before making the switch to the Peninsula Stadium earlier this season.

Borini may be coming towards the end of his career, and he is not a regular starter for the Ammies, but he has scored plenty of crucial goals for Karl Robinson's men in recent weeks in their pursuit of promotion, suggesting he has not lost his quality.

Armando Dobra - Chesterfield

Chesterfield winger Armando Dobra has had an interesting career path, but he has certainly found a home at the SMH Group Stadium.

Dobra began his career with Ipswich Town, and he scored on his debut for the Tractor Boys in an EFL Cup tie against Luton Town in August 2019, but he failed to establish himself at Portman Road and dropped down to the National League to join the Spireites in 2022.

The 24-year-old revealed that he attracted interest from the likes of Brighton & Hove Albion, Leeds United and Atalanta after making his breakthrough at Ipswich, but he has instead had to work his way up from the lower leagues.

Dobra scored an impressive 13 goals in all competitions for Chesterfield last season, and although injuries have prevented him from reaching the same heights this time around, he remains a nightmare for opposition defences to handle on his day.

Alassana Jatta - Notts County

Notts County have become known for unearthing gems in the transfer market over the years, and striker Alassana Jatta has perhaps been one of their best finds.

Jatta joined the Magpies from Danish side Viborg for a fee of £100,000 in January 2024, and he scored 22 goals in 43 appearances last season, but it was not enough to help his side to promotion from League Two.

However, Jatta's form did not go unnoticed, and he was reportedly the subject of a £750,000 bid from then-Championship side Plymouth Argyle back in January, while he has also previously been on the radar of League One outfit Bolton Wanderers.

After another strong campaign, it seems likely that Jatta will be playing at a higher level next season, but it remains to be seen whether that will be with Notts.

Michael Cheek - Bromley

Bromley striker Michael Cheek has developed a reputation as one of the most prolific goalscorers in the lower leagues in recent years.

After firing the Ravens to promotion from the National League in 2024, Cheek's fine form has continued in the EFL, and he scored 26 goals and provided eight assists in 49 appearances last season.

Cheek was linked with League One side Wigan Athletic last summer, but if he was disappointed at missing out on a move to the Brick Community Stadium, he certainly has not shown it, producing another outstanding season to lead Bromley's promotion push.

At the age of 34, Cheek may not be top of the list of targets for clubs from higher divisions, but he looks set to get the chance to play in League One next season with Andy Woodman's side.

Aaron Collins - MK Dons

After their eye-catching summer recruitment drive, forward Aaron Collins is one of a number of MK Dons players to make it onto this list.

It looked as though Collins was climbing the EFL ladder when he joined Bolton Wanderers from Bristol Rovers in February 2024, and he had a strong spell at the Toughsheet Community Stadium, scoring 28 goals in 77 appearances for the Trotters.

It was, therefore, a huge surprise when Collins opted to drop back down to League Two to make the switch to MK Dons in the summer, but his signing was certainly a statement of intent from Paul Warne's men.

An injury-disrupted start to life at Stadium MK means Collins is unlikely to reach the goal tally many expected this season, but there is no doubt that he is capable of performing at a far higher level than the fourth tier.

Aaron Drinan - Swindon Town

Ian Holloway has had a transformative effect since taking over at Swindon Town last season, but perhaps no player has thrived under the ex-Blackpool manager more than striker Aaron Drinan.

After beginning his career in his native Ireland, Drinan made the move to Ipswich Town in 2018, but he was unable to break into the team at Portman Road, spending time out on loan with the likes of Sutton United, Waterford, GAIS and Ayr United before joining Leyton Orient on a permanent basis.

Drinan arrived at Swindon in January 2024, but he had a quiet first 18 months at the Nigel Eady County Ground, scoring just seven goals during that time, but he has exploded into life this season to fire Holloway's men into promotion contention.

The 27-year-old has already surpassed the 25-goal mark in all competitions this season, making it statistically the best campaign of his career by some distance, and if the Robins fail to win promotion, it seems likely he will attract interest from elsewhere.

Jodi Jones - Notts County

Winger Jodi Jones was a highly-rated talent after making his breakthrough at Coventry City, but injuries prevented him from fulfilling his potential at the CBS Arena and saw him drop down the football pyramid.

However, Jones has rebuilt his career since joining Notts County in January 2023, and after helping the Magpies to promotion from the National League in his first season at Meadow Lane, he has gone from strength to strength in League Two.

Jones provided a remarkable 24 assists in the 2023-24 season, breaking an English professional league record previously jointly held by Kevin de Bruyne and Thierry Henry, and while his goal contribution numbers have not been quite at the same level since, he remains a key figure for Notts.

Kelly N'Mai - Salford City

While Salford have a player with plenty of top level experience in their squad in Borini, they also boast an exciting talent at the start of his career in winger Kelly N'Mai.

N’Mai scored nine goals and registered four assists in 37 appearances in all competitions last season, earning him the Ammies' Players' Player of the Year award and catching the eye of other clubs.

Championship duo Middlesbrough and Preston North End were both keen on N'Mai last summer, while Bolton had a bid rejected for the 21-year-old, and League One high-flyers Cardiff City were eyeing him in the January transfer window.

N'Mai is on course to surpass both his goal and assist tallies from last season after another impressive campaign, and Salford will likely have to fend off further interest in their prized asset this summer, regardless of which division they are in.

Nathaniel Mendez-Laing - MK Dons

In another headline-grabbing transfer deal, MK Dons signed winger Nathaniel Mendez-Laing from Championship side Derby County in the summer.

Mendez-Laing enjoyed an excellent three-year spell at Pride Park, including scoring 10 goals and providing 18 assists in the 2023-24 campaign to help the Rams to promotion from League One, while he was also the club's captain as they secured Championship survival last season.

Unfortunately for the Dons, injuries have prevented them from seeing the best of Mendez-Laing this season, but prior to sustaining a hamstring injury in December, the 33-year-old netted eight goals and registered four assists in 20 appearances, proving just how much of a threat he is at League Two level.

Callum Paterson - MK Dons

Mendez-Laing was not the only player MK Dons convinced to drop down from the Championship in the summer, with forward Callum Paterson also arriving after his departure from Sheffield Wednesday.

Paterson scored 31 goals and provided 15 assists in 186 appearances during a five-year spell with the Owls, achieving firm fan favourite status, but he opted against remaining at Hillsborough amid their summer of turmoil and joined the ambitious Dons.

The 31-year-old was always likely to be a standout performer in League Two, but he has arguably exceeded expectations after a stunning season for Warne's side, and he looks set to achieve double figures in both goals and assists.

Paterson was one of a host of big name signings made by MK Dons, but he has perhaps been the most influential of their summer recruits, and they may still be wondering how they managed to attract a player of his quality.