Lincoln City have been linked with a move for giant Västerås SK striker Mikkel Ladefoged, and he’s a player whose goalscoring exploits have already attracted interest from elsewhere.
The 23-year-old, who is apparently attracting interest worth around £3.9m in total, was the subject of growing transfer interest earlier this year after carrying his impressive form from the Swedish second tier into the Allsvenskan. Västerås sporting director Billy Magnusson admitted in May that other clubs had started taking notice, although his preference was for the forward to remain for the entire season.
“A little, that’s how it is. You’ve heard that there’s talk around and so on, but it’s completely natural. If you put in good performances, it creates interest, and in this case it’s a striker who has scored five goals in six games. It’s clear that there’s interest in him.”
Ladefoged has continued to strengthen his position since those comments. He currently has nine goals and two assists from 1,123 minutes in the Allsvenskan, having started 13 matches. That works out at 0.72 goals per 90 minutes, with his nine goals coming from an expected goals figure of 8.25.
He has attempted 34 shots, with 16 hitting the target, while averaging 2.72 efforts per 90. The numbers suggest this is not simply a striker enjoying an unsustainable run of finishing, as his goal return is closely aligned with the quality and quantity of chances he has received.
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There is also more to Ladefoged’s profile than his scoring record. Standing at a little over two metres tall, he offers an obvious physical presence and has contested 105 aerial duels this season, winning 53.3%. He averages 8.41 aerial contests per 90, which underlines how regularly Västerås use him as a focal point.
However, he is not merely stationed in the penalty area waiting for crosses. Ladefoged averages 4.25 touches inside the opposition box, 1.04 progressive runs and 1.36 fouls suffered per 90. He has also supplied six shot assists across the campaign, alongside his two registered assists. He’s not just a big target; he’s involved in their attacks, time and again.
His general duel success is lower, with 40.7% of his 295 contests won, while only a quarter of his offensive duels have been successful, but that’s not unusual for a striker. It perhaps highlights the adjustment he would face in the Championship, where defenders are likely to match his physicality more consistently.
Ladefoged’s career has taken off since his move to Sweden. After coming through at Næsby, he joined Sønderjyske and subsequently spent time on loan with Næstved and Esbjerg. He scored regularly for Næstved but struggled to establish himself with his parent club before joining Västerås in January 2025.
He then scored ten times in 15 league appearances as Västerås secured promotion, before making an immediate impact at the higher level. Across his last 28 league appearances for the club, he has therefore scored 19 times.
Västerås have Ladefoged under contract until the end of 2028 and made their position clear earlier in the campaign. Magnusson said the club wanted continuity and expected the striker to stay, although he acknowledged that a sufficiently attractive offer could force them to reconsider.
“Our starting point is that he will stay the whole year. It’s that simple.”
Whether we firm up their reported interest remains to be seen, but Ladefoged’s combination of age, size and goals would certainly fit the profile of a striker with significant potential resale value. The Imps would also be pursuing a player whose stock is continuing to rise, rather than somebody available after falling out of favour elsewhere.
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