Four players KSI could sign for Dagenham and Redbridge after becoming shareholder

KSI could make some big moves in the transfer market this summer after becoming a shareholder in National League South side Dagenham and Redbridge.

The Daggers, who played in League One as recently as 2011, announced on Tuesday afternoon that KSI - real name Olajide Olayinka Williams Olatunji - had purchased a minority stake in the club.

According to The Athletic, that stake is worth around 20 per cent, and is due to be ratified by the National League.

KSI told the club's official website that he has long-term ambitions to reach the Premier League, and is 'fully committed to making sure Dagenham and Redbridge is a team that everyone will know worldwide'.

His first ambition will be to try and get promoted from the notoriously difficult National League South, with only one automatic promotion and one play-off promotion spot available.

Last season, only three points separated first and sixth places in the final table, with Truro City winning the title on the final day.

The Daggers, who themselves were relegated from the National League on the final day last season, are currently in 13th place and six points off the play-offs.

Should the club stay in the sixth tier for the 2026/27 season, it could certainly be a summer of significant change at Dagenham and Redbridge.

But while transfers between clubs in the upper tiers of English football are usually relatively seamless, it is a different story in non-league as there are various other factors to consider - location, travel, whether the club is part-time or full-time to name just three.

There is also the geographical make-up of the North and South leagues, though the South has an advantage in that is limited from Hertfordshire and below.

The North, in comparison, is made up of clubs from the upper reaches of the North East all the way down to Oxford.

And Dagenham and Redbridge are also one of several full-time clubs in the division, meaning they will be able to offer higher wages and, of course, exposure on a national scale.

Here are four players - some more realistic than others, perhaps - that Dagenham could sign in the summer:

Luke Jephcott

One place for Dagenham to start could be to raid the squad that earned automatic promotion from the sixth-tier last season.

Luke Jephcott came through the youth academy at Plymouth Argyle and burst on to the scene, scoring 26 goals across the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons in League One. He also played for Wales at U21 level.

Now 26, the striker has slipped down the leagues since then, and is now at Truro City - who look to be near certainties to be relegated back down to the National League South.

He scored six goals in the sixth-tier after joining Truro in the second half of last season, and could be convinced by KSI to make another transfer.

Cam'ron Ismail

Dagenham and Redbridge have a strong relationship with Arsenal, having loaned in young defender Will Sweet at the end of January.

KSI, of course, knows Arsenal extremely well as the club he supports.

Young left-back Cam'ron Ismail spent a month on loan at Southern Premier Division South side Uxbridge - a step below Dagenham - in December, and registered an assist on his debut.

The Gunners might decide to move Ismail up to the sixth-tier for next season, and Dagenham might be the ideal landing spot.

Rolando Aarons

A former academy graduate at Newcastle United, Rolando Aarons made 14 Premier League appearances for the Magpies but has drifted down the English pyramid in recent years.

Now 30, the winger spent the first part of this season at National League strugglers Morecambe, making 13 appearances before being released.

As well as his time in Lancashire, he's also played in Italy, Czechia and Slovenia since leaving Newcastle - and his next step could be a move to Dagenham.

YouTube star?

While this wouldn't be a 'signing' as such - the high standards of non-league football at the top levels mean it almost certainly wouldn't be feasible - it wouldn't be a huge shock to see a member of the Sidemen, or another popular content creator, be involved in the club in some capacity.

Sidemen member Toby Brown, and his brother Manny, were invited to train with League Two side Crawley Town in November 2022, but ultimately didn't make a professional football appearance.

A similar arrangement could be created by Dagenham, with the likes of ChrisMD and Angry Ginge in particular showing off their clear footballing talents in Soccer Aid and Sidemen Charity Matches.

iShowSpeed, as well, could be added to that list, given his incredible speed over short distances and his claims that he can run the 100 metres in 10.5 seconds flat - as well as the fact that he has attempted to play numerous sports with some success.

Could we see some involvement from them in some capacity next season?