Eastleigh

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Eastleigh have signed Gillingham midfielder Nelson Khumbeni on a season-long loan.

The 23-year-old joined the Gills from Bolton last year and made 22 appearances last season.

He has non-league experience from a successful loan spell with Fylde.

He said:, external "Meeting the lads and having conversations with (manager) Matt Gray has been great and I am delighted to be here."

Eastleigh will host Gateshead in the National League on Saturday.

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Eastleigh have signed winger Dion Rankine on loan from Crewe Alexandra until January.

The 23-year-old made 15 appearances for Crewe in all competitions last season and has also had spells with Exeter City and Wigan Athletic.

Eastleigh defender Ben Drake is likely to miss the entire 2026-27 season after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in a pre-season game.

The 21-year-old only joined the Spitfires from Millwall last month, and sustained the injury during a game against Crawley Town last week.

A club statement said there "is no definitive timescale" for the player's return but indicated that he is likely to miss the whole campaign.

Drake made 22 appearances for Braintree Town in the National league last season.

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National League side Eastleigh have signed striker Oliver Hawkins after a successful trial.

The 34-year-old joins on a free transfer, having left Barnet earlier this summer.

The striker has plenty of English Football League experience, having made 286 appearances in Leagues One and Two for clubs including Gillingham, Portsmouth, Mansfield and Ipswich Town.

The Spitfires have not disclosed the length of Hawkins' contract.

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Eastleigh have signed Sheffield Wednesday defender Reece Johnson on a season-long-loan.

The 20-year-old left-back has played 16 times for the Owls, with the majority of those appearances coming last season in the Championship alongside games in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup.

Johnson made his Sheffield Wednesday debut in the EFL Cup, starting in a victory away to Bolton Wanderers where he also scored his first senior goal.

"I want a good season where I can play games," he told the club website., external "You're at your best when you're playing and I want to get as many minutes into the legs as I can."

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Southampton beat National League neighbours Eastleigh 3-1 in their annual pre-season friendly at the Silverlake Stadium on Saturday.

Tonda Eckert's side had to come from behind in the game after Spitfires defender Nick Akoto fired the hosts ahead after 14 minutes.

Saints then levelled it up thanks to new signing Lewis Dobbin before academy forward Nicholas Oyekunle headed the visitors ahead.

Midfielder Romeo Akachukwu, 19, then added a third to ensure Saints' first pre-season match ended with a win.

Eckert and his players will now head to Germany to continue their preparation for the new Championship campaign with games scheduled against Eintracht Braunschweig and Preussen Munster.

Eastleigh have signed defender Nick Akoto following his exit from Burton Albion.

The 27-year-old right-back spent the past two seasons with the Brewers, making 33 appearances.

He previously played in America for Tormenta FC where he made 50 appearances, scoring two goals and registering five assists.

In his youth career, Akoto was part of AFC Wimbledon's under-18 side, leaving in the summer of 2017.

Eastleigh have signed former Millwall defender Ben Drake.

The 20-year-old arrives at the Spitfires after two years with the Lions. He was an unused substitute in Millwall's 2-1 victory over Coventry City in the EFL Cup at the beginning of last season.

Last season, Drake joined Braintree Town on loan and made 22 National League appearances.

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Winger Will Randall has joined National League side Eastleigh on a permanent deal.

The 29-year-old previously made over 100 appearances for Sutton United.

He was most recently at Wealdstone, where he made 11 appearances in the second half of the 2024-25 National League season.

"I know what I am capable of at this level and how this league shapes itself," he told the club website., external

"I'm looking forward to getting back out there and showing what I can do."