Lincoln City have “quite a few” transfer deals lined up and verbally agreed as they attempt to complete the next phase of their Championship recruitment.
CEO Liam Scully has revealed that several potential additions are now close, although some remain dependent on movement elsewhere in the market or other pieces of business being completed first.
The Imps have already been linked with Tottenham Hotspur forward Mason Melia and Västerås SK striker Mikkel Ladefoged. Reports surrounding Melia suggest City are leading the race to sign the 18-year-old Republic of Ireland international on a season-long loan, while negotiations have also been reported over a permanent move for Ladefoged.
Neither deal has been officially confirmed, and Scully did not identify any of the players involved during his BBC Radio Lincolnshire interview.
However, he indicated that significant work has already been completed behind the scenes.
“There is a lot going on within world football at this moment as well,” said Liam.
“In terms of where we are at overall, there are plenty of things going on in the background. I am sure fans are most keen on recruitment, the transfer market and what that looks like.
“We have got quite a few things lined up and verbally agreed. It is predicated on a number of things happening. At the moment, our bold and ambitious transfer strategy is based on the fact that we think these things are worth waiting for. We are trying to build a team for 46 games in a Championship season, rather than just looking at things in isolation for the first week in August.
“There is certainly a lot going on. We have got a lot of irons in the fire and things that we are hoping come to fruition in the pretty short term from here.”
City’s interest in Melia has gathered pace over recent days. The teenager officially joined Tottenham from St Patrick’s Athletic in January and has already accumulated considerable senior experience in Ireland, scoring 21 league goals in 76 appearances before moving to North London.
He has also made two senior appearances for the Republic of Ireland and is regarded as one of his country’s leading young attacking prospects. A temporary move would allow him to gain regular experience in the Championship while giving the Imps another mobile option across the forward line.
Ladefoged would represent a different type of addition. The 23-year-old is a towering Danish centre-forward who stands at more than two metres tall and currently plays for Västerås in the Swedish top flight.
He scored ten league goals in 15 appearances as Västerås won promotion from the Superettan last season and has continued to attract attention after carrying that form into the Allsvenskan. Reports in Sweden have claimed the two clubs have been discussing a permanent transfer, although Västerås have publicly stopped short of confirming that he will leave.
The possibility of City recruiting both players would give Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw two contrasting attacking profiles. Melia can operate across the forward positions and offers pace and movement, while Ladefoged would bring an obvious physical presence through the middle.
However, Scully explained that some of the club’s intended business remains reliant on other transfers taking place. He pointed to wider delays across the market, with movement between clubs and leagues affecting the speed at which agreements can be completed.
“Please do not take this as excuses, but you have got to look at established Championship football clubs cancelling friendlies and pre-season games this week. You will see that it is not just a Lincoln City problem.
“The transfer market itself has just been stuck. Questions can be asked about whether we should have forecast and expected some of this, and we did, but the extended World Cup, more players and more games, has been hard to predict. As a result, the transfer market at international level has been really sticky.
“We are all in a food chain. It is all a circular economy and we have been waiting for that to move. Now those movements have started happening. There are a number of transfers that we have got verbally agreed and it is purely timing. Of course, things can happen in that, such as things that come out of the blue, injuries or whatever.
“There are some other things that we have got lined up that are more, ‘If this, then that.’ We are looking for and managing this scenario as well.
“It is just that last little bit of patience required. We are very close to a number of things. We have got a lot of trust and confidence in the people we are dealing with. They are not new relationships to us.
“Of course, we would like a few more signings in the building by this point, but overall we feel in a reasonable place.”
One obvious moving part is Jack Moylan’s expected departure. Scully has confirmed separately that the proposed transfer has not yet been completed, but said he expects it to go through. That deal could influence both the shape of City’s attacking options and the resources available for further recruitment.
The Imps also entered the final week before the Championship campaign with several trialists used during the final pre-season fixtures against Doncaster Rovers and Barnsley. That has increased the focus on how quickly the remaining arrivals can be secured.
Nevertheless, his comments suggest City are not searching from scratch during the final weeks of the window. Several deals appear to have progressed beyond initial discussions, with timing and movement elsewhere now among the main obstacles.
The message from Sincil Bank is that the club would have preferred to complete more business earlier, but will not abandon its preferred targets simply to fill the squad before the opening weekend. City believe the players they are waiting for can contribute across the full Championship season, rather than merely solving an immediate shortage.
You must be logged in to post a comment.