
Ten days ago, there was an article on this site that the Imps were reported to be battling for Shrewsbury Town midfielder Tom Bayliss.
Now, Football Insider are claiming that we have won the race and the 25-year-old is set to sign following his release from Shrewsbury. When this news first came out, it fell foul of the rule of three, having originally stated that we were locked in a battle with Wycombe and Charlton. However, now the site are claiming an exclusive that we have beaten off our opposition.
Bayliss began his career at Coventry before heading to Preston, for a substantial fee, Wigan and finally to Shropshire. A player with some pedigree that could thrive in the right conditions, and Skubala has already proved he can get the most out of players, so this could be another of those situations.
If this were to come off, then he would be the second midfielder joining us since the window opened last Friday, following the arrival of Conor McGrandles on a permanent deal. His position and style could see him act as a direct replacement for Ted Bishop or Danny Mandroiu should they not re-sign with the club this summer, and that would give us at least four first-team-ready players in those positions to start next season, not forgetting Alistair Smith is still contracted at the club too.
This summer feels as though it is less of a rebuild, but more like we’re filling the gaps, hoping for strength in depth as much as anything. Squad depth like that is what can elevate a club. Take us from being just outside of the play-offs to potentially being in the battle for a full 46-game season. However, this is still only a rumour so time will tell whether this actually happens.