Scottish Premiership giants Celtic and several Championship clubs are the latest sides to have joined the race for Huddersfield Town star Cameron Ashia.
Ahead of the summer window, rumours continue to circulate about the Terriers man, with two further clubs north of the border, Hearts and Rangers, previously linked.
And now the second-tier duo of Bristol City and Preston North End are also interested, alongside Birmingham City, Stoke City and Queens Park Rangers.
Three Horse Scottish Race
Much like the title race in Scotland’s top-flight, this is a three-way battle between the current top three sides at that level. They do have a job on their hands to see off the English sides for his signature, with some of the above-mentioned clubs having an outside chance of reaching the Premier League. However, the allure of Champions League football next season is likely to be a bigger pull for the Terriers man.
Danny Röhl will have his first summer transfer window to shape his squad, while there should be a new man in the dugout on the other side of Glasgow. Martin O’Neill is only in temporary charge at Parkhead until the end of the season, which could lend itself as an advantage to their city rivals, depending on how long the Hoops take to decide on a new man when the season ends.
The underdog in this conversation, and indeed the title race, are Hearts. Derek McInnes has done a sensational job in guiding the Jam Tarts to the top of the tree, looking to end the Old Firm’s dominance. With a five-point gap at current, securing the major prize in Scotland this season could be crucial in their pursuit of the 20-year-old.
What About The English Clubs?
With six League One goal contributions, the Terriers forward is understandably attracting interest from all areas. He returned to their line-up last Saturday, as the West Yorkshire side edged past Rotherham United. After a spell out of the side earlier this year, he returned with a goal off the bench against Blackpool, while providing an assist to edge past Barnsley in the last few weeks.
Looking at the named second-tier sides, Birmingham City jump out as the obvious pick. The Blues defeated one of the other interested parties, Queens Park Rangers, last night to end their three-game losing run, and are likely to have finances on their side. Sitting five points adrift of the play-off places means fixtures against Sheffield United and Derby County in the next two weekends will likely determine their season.
Bristol City and Preston have both dropped off the pace in recent weeks, meaning they may get the opportunity to start planning their summer business a couple of weeks earlier than these other sides. The same also applies to Stoke, who have a 10-point buffer to the relegation zone, so they should soon be able to prepare for another season of Championship football. Signing Ashia could be the key to finally escaping this level.