Colchester United have sold two of their best players

There’s no sugar coating it for Colchester United fans; Jayden Fevrier and in the latter part of the season, Jay Mingi, were two of their team’s shining lights in what was otherwise a largely disappointing 2023-24 campaign.

To see the duo both depart for League One new boys Stockport County in the space of a couple of weeks must be tough to take.

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Fevrier lit up the JobServe Community Stadium with his skill, pace and trickery, while Mingi showed what a talented footballer he is, flourishing in a defensive role in the final weeks of the season.

But while their exit undoubtedly weakens the U’s squad as it stands, its long-term effect could prove to be beneficial in more ways than one.

For a start, Colchester have always been a club under Robbie Cowling’s ownership to place emphasis on the development of talented young players.

Whether they be from the club’s own academy or brought in after departing bigger clubs, the belief is that it is not only good for the club in that it allows the opportunity to profit financially and then reinvest into the team but also for the player, who are provided with a precious platform from which to shine and showcase their talents within a first-team environment, in the EFL.

That is certainly the case for Fevrier and Mingi, who have grasped their opportunity at Colchester with both hands after leaving a Premier League academy set-up at West Ham United.

The duo benefited individually, as they earned a move to a higher-placed outfit.

But the U’s also profited in that after minimal financial investment, Fevrier and Mingi both played their part in helping the U’s remain in the Football League.

Traditionally, Colchester have structured their academy pathway with the intention of youngsters playing at least 100 games for the first team, before potentially moving to a higher-placed club.

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Fevrier and Mingi made fewer than a century of appearances between them in their brief time at the U’s but both players had a year remaining on their contracts, at the JobServe Community Stadium.

The fees were undisclosed but by all accounts, Stockport’s final valuation for the players was a healthy one and they are deals that seemingly made sense for all parties.

There will undoubtedly be the potential for Colchester to benefit further down the line, too.

With Fevrier aged 21 and Mingi 23, the pair have potential to play at a higher level than League One and command further transfer fees further down the line through sell ons, all to the U’s advantage.

It’s no secret that Colchester’s struggles on the pitch over the past four seasons may well have had a detrimental effect on their ability to make signings.

But Fevrier and Mingi are success stories; they have once again shown that the U’s are a club that give talented young players a stage to shine and show that they have the potential to play at a higher level.

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And while Colchester’s player recruitment has come in for its fair share of criticism over recent years, they are an example of how the club can snap up young talent and allow it to flourish.

The vast profit made from the sale of Fevrier and Mingi will now be reinvested into the player budget to help Danny Cowley shape a squad capable of challenging at the right end of League Two.

So, while it is undoubtedly disappointing to see talented players like Fevrier and Mingi depart, sometimes a move can prove to be good for all parties.