Lincoln City are reportedly among the clubs to have seen a bid rejected for Falkirk striker Barney Stewart.
The 22-year-old has emerged as one of the most talked-about forwards in Scottish football after a rapid rise from university football to the Scottish Premiership.
According to Pete O’Rourke, City, West Bromwich Albion and Oxford United have all had offers turned down by Falkirk for the highly-rated Scotland Under-21 international.
Imps Linked With Falkirk Forward
Stewart’s name first surfaced south of the border after the Daily Record reported that West Brom had seen a seven-figure bid rejected by Falkirk. That report claimed the Baggies had made multiple offers, with their latest proposal well into seven figures but still short of the Scottish club’s valuation.
O’Rourke has now added us and relegated Oxford United to the list of clubs to have tested Falkirk’s resolve, suggesting this is already developing into a competitive chase. However, the likelihood of us forking out a seven-figure sum is minimal, so either the reported fee, or the link to us, feels like it might be incorrect.
Stewart’s rise has been rapid. Signed from Heriot-Watt University in 2024, he began the season on loan at Dunfermline Athletic, where he scored eight goals in 12 matches. Falkirk then recalled him, and he continued that form in the Scottish Premiership, taking his total for the campaign to 18 goals.
That return has brought wider attention. Stewart has been shortlisted for the Scottish Football Writers’ Association Young Player of the Year award and was also nominated for the PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year prize.
Lincoln City link of value?
I know we are now operating in a different transfer market after promotion to the Championship, and a player attracting seven-figure bids from West Brom is not the sort of name that would have felt realistic 12 months ago. Whether our rejected offer (if there was an offer) was close to Falkirk’s valuation is not clear, but the fact that we are being mentioned in the same conversation tells its own story.
Falkirk are in a strong position. Stewart only recently signed a long-term contract, with reports in Scotland stating he still has three years remaining on his deal. That means the Bairns are under no immediate pressure to sell, especially with interest growing from England and beyond.
The question now is whether any of the interested clubs will return with an improved offer. West Brom appear to have been the most aggressive so far, and we’re highly unlikely to get into a bidding war with another Championship club. That said, I can see why we’ve been linked.
Stewart is young, has already shown he can score across different levels, and his route into senior football suggests there may still be significant development to come. It’s unlikely we’ll see him in a Lincoln shirt, but it is another sign that our summer recruitment may be aimed a little higher than some expected.