The Imps’ hunt for striker Lee Bonis may have hit a setback, with Alan Nixon reporting two other clubs have entered the fray.
Bonis was linked with the Imps in the summer after Michael Appleton’s side were defeated in the play-off final. As a striker with a big reputation, he’s always seemingly been on the cusp of a move to England. Last year, he signed an extension to his contract with Northern Irish side Larne, valuing him at around €300,000 (£257,000). That put off chasing clubs, thought to include Derby County, Dundee United and Bolton. Prior to that interest, Blackpool, Birmingham, Wigan, and Portsmouth had all been credited with watching the striker.
He’s recently been called up to the Northern Ireland squad, but his record at two-time champions Larne has been sensational – he’s hit 27 goals in 41 matches across all competitions, which includes a goal in the Champions League against HJ Helsinki, albeit a penalty. He’s bagged 16 in the league and recently smashed four past Glenavon, including three inside 11 minutes in the first half. In March, he admitted he’s keen on moving across the water to England, which is likely to have sparked a second wave of interest. We’re one of the clubs thought to be watching him, but Burton Albion and Wycombe Wanderers have joined us.
Lee Bonis has been named in the @NorthernIreland senior squad 👏
Michael O’Neill’s side will face Denmark and Kazakhstan this month 🟢⚪️#WeAreLarne #ForTheTown pic.twitter.com/JUhKpVoiNU
— Larne Football Club 🏆 (@larnefc) June 8, 2023
It’s also been reported that Wycombe, recently taken over by billionaire Mikheil Lomtadze are ready to spend £150,000 on the player, as they seek to improve on their placing of tenth last season. Life after Gareth Ainsworth wasn’t easy for the Chairboys, and they finished the campaign 11 points outside the top six, their worst finish since 2019. With the ambitious new owner seemingly ready to back the club as much as possible, this could be a serious issue for us if we are indeed after Bonis.
Burton are also in the grip of a rebuild, and having seen a couple of big earners leave, they, too, might have the funds to push us all the way. It’s unlikely we’ll get involved in a silly auction where the price outweighs the potential, so the latest development could spell trouble for the Imps. Of course, it could all be newspaper guff, it could be an agent trying to drive up the price, or it could be we’re not even in for Bonis at all.
Still, it’s the closest we’ve got to the news without pulling some tenuous link about a loan player we had five years ago being released from his parent club, so it’ll have to do for now.