Barnet Football Club are delighted to announce the signing of former Walsall midfield pairing Brandon Comley and Charlie Lakin on free transfers.
The ex-Saddlers’ duo make the move to the Bees from the Black Country ahead of the 2026/27 campaign, after making a combined total of 248 appearances for the West Midlands outfit.
Comley’s career started out in Queens Park Rangers’ academy at the age of nine, where he progressed through the ranks, before signing his professional contract and making his First Team debut in the Premier League in 2015.
The 30-year-old made two more appearances in England’s top flight before his first loan spell away from the Hoops which saw him join Cumbrian side Carlisle United, before a season-long temporary move to Grimsby Town.
The defensive midfielder then made the move to Colchester United for the 2017/18 campaign on loan, before making the move permanent and making a total of 88 appearances for the U’s during his time in Essex.
A short spell at Dagenham and Redbridge in the National League followed, before the midfielder jumped back up into the EFL and put pen to paper with Walsall in the summer of 2022.
Comley went on to make over 150 appearances in a red and black shirt across a four-year spell before making the move to the capital this summer.
The experienced midfielder has also played on the international stage, representing Montserrat 24 times after making his debut in a CONCACAF Nations League Qualifier and has also captained the side in World Cup qualifiers.
Joining alongside him is 27-year-old Lakin, who spent two years at Walsall with Comley and made 97 appearances during his time at the Pallet-Track Bescot Stadium.
The attacking midfielder came through the ranks at Birmingham City, where he signed his professional contract, before going on to represent the Blues on 16 occasions, ten of those being in the Championship.
Loans with Stevenage and Ross County in the Scottish Premiership followed, before a permanent move to Burton Albion, where he made a total of 36 appearances while also going out on loan to Doncaster Rovers, AFC Wimbledon and Sutton United; gaining more valuable experience in the fourth tier.
Lakin went to Walsall in the summer 2024 and reached almost a century of games for the club before making the move to the capital this month ready for his next challenge.
On getting the signatures of Brandon and Charlie, Manager Dean Brennan said:
“Brandon is your out and out defensive midfield player and we’ve been looking for this type of player, because we’ve played Nnamdi there quite a bit, but I want to play him more advanced next season.
He’s got great experience, a good football brain, breaks up play and is the profile of player we’ve been after for a long time.
We’re delighted he’s decided to join us and he’s a good character; he’ll be good around the place and has some fantastic references on him.
“We see Charlie as an attacking midfielder. He can play advanced up the pitch and is left-footed, which gives us more balance, especially alongside the signing of Zac Williams.
“Charlie’s got good guile, a good footballing brain and high fitness levels.
We’re delighted both players have decided to join us, two very good top end League Two footballers.”
On linking up with the Bees ahead of the 2026/27 campaign, Lakin added:
“I am proud to sign for Barnet. It is an exciting chapter in my career. The club has a strong ambition and a clear vision for the future, which fits perfectly with my own goals as a player.
I’m looking forward to the season starting and helping to contribute to the team’s success.”
Comley echoed his former Walsall teammate by saying:
“It’s a great feeling to get the deal done. It’s been a work in progress going on for a little while now and I’m happy that it’s done.
It’s nice to have a familiar face and hopefully we can bring the chemistry we have on the pitch here!”
Welcome to The Hive, Brandon and Charlie!
COYB