Former Lincoln City loanee Jack Diamond could be on the move before the transfer window closes, with Leicester City reportedly preparing an offer for the Stockport County winger.
Football League World claims Leicester have identified Diamond as a target as they look to strengthen their attacking options. An offer worth around £500,000 is said to be in the pipeline, placing fresh uncertainty over the 26-year-old’s future at Edgeley Park.
That is of interest to us not only as an ex-Imp, but also because City were linked with Diamond earlier in the summer. A June report from Peter O’Rourke named Lincoln and Portsmouth as potential destinations, with the winger entering the final 12 months of his Stockport contract. In fairness, it was probably an agent trying to drum up a bit of interest in the winger and leveraging O’Rourke, but it gave us a story or two.
No move to Sincil Bank materialised, no shock there, and plenty has changed here since then. City have added to the attacking options available to Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw, while stepping up into the Championship also means every prospective signing must be judged against the demands of a higher level.
Contract Situation Could Influence Stockport
Diamond’s contractual position appears central to Leicester’s reported interest. Stockport were believed to value him at around £1 million last December, before rejecting a £750,000 bid from Luton Town on the final day of the winter window.
However, his value is likely to have been affected by the amount of time remaining on his deal. Stockport must now decide whether to entertain a lower offer or risk losing the player for nothing when his contract expires. The reported £500,000 figure is significantly below those previous valuations, although Diamond has remained an important part of the side at Edgeley Park.
He recently made his 100th appearance for Stockport and contributed eight goals and seven assists from 58 appearances in all competitions last season. He has also started the new campaign positively, recording a goal and an assist in Stockport’s 3-1 opening-day victory against Plymouth Argyle.
Leicester’s interest comes as they attempt to recover from a difficult beginning to life in League One. Russell Martin’s side have already been active during the summer, but the latest report suggests further additions are being considered before the deadline.
Previous Lincoln City Spell
Diamond spent the 2022/23 season on loan with the Imps from Sunderland, making 31 league appearances and scoring six times. His most memorable contribution came when he struck a hat-trick against Bristol Rovers at Sincil Bank.
His season ended early in March 2023, and after he was cleared of criminal charges in January 2024, he rebuilt his career through a loan spell at Carlisle United and a permanent move to Stockport.
When the Imos link emerged in June, I was sceptical about whether it reflected genuine interest from City. Diamond is a dangerous attacking player at League One level and has performed well for Stockport, but his previous time here was complicated, and I was unsure whether a return fitted the direction of our recruitment.
Leicester’s reported move may now provide the answer. There is no suggestion in this latest report that Lincoln remains involved, nor has there been anything other than the tweet from O’Rourke, but our former loanee could still become a significant transfer story before the window closes.
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