Lincoln City are leading the race ahead of Charlton Athletic and Wycombe Wanderers for Shrewsbury Town’s Tom Bayliss, as reported by Football Insider.
The Imps will be hoping for a different outcome in League One next season after they narrowly missed out on a playoff spot on the final day of their campaign. Shrewsbury Town midfielder Tom Bayliss has emerged as a potential target for the club. With the 25-year-old’s contract coming to an end with the Shrews at the end of this month, the side are said to be in pole position to land the midfielder’s signature but faces competition from two other clubs in the third tier.
Meanwhile, Charlton Athletic will also be hoping for a different campaign after finding themselves in the bottom half of the table last season despite the signing of talismanic striker Alfie May from Cheltenham Town.
What competition did Charlton Athletic face?
The Imps face competition from two other third-tier clubs, Charlton Athletic and Wycombe Wanderers, with Skubala’s side said to be the favourites to land the midfielder’s signature.
Both sides will also be hoping for better seasons than their previous experience after the Addicks found themselves in the relegation battle until the latter stages. Alfie May’s goalscoring exploits in his first season at the Valley were key to their survival as he finished top scorer in League One. After a disappointing campaign, the club will surely look to make more signings this window and begin pushing towards the top half of the table.
Wycombe also endured a difficult season until the latter stages, picking up form in the second half of the season, finishing in tenth, unbeaten in their final five fixtures. Matt Bloomfield already raided the Shrews last summer, signing their club captain Luke Leahy.
Lincoln is set to win the race with Charlton Athletic for the experienced midfielder.
Despite the competition for his signature, it does not seem that it will set the Imps back in their pursuit, with reports emerging that they are in pole position for the signing.
It comes as no surprise that the midfielder is a hot commodity, especially when considering the fact that it will be a free signing upon the expiration of his contract with Shrewsbury Town.
Bayliss comes with a wealth of experience in League One, featuring 35 times for the Shrews last campaign, scoring three and assisting twice as the club avoided the drop. He would also arrive with a third-tier title to his name from his loan spell with Wigan Athletic in the 21/22 season.
The Leicester-born midfielder is a product of the Coventry City academy, leaving for Championship rivals Preston North End before joining Shrewsbury Town after successful loan spells with Wigan Athletic. Bayliss is also capped twice for England at under-19 level.
Lincoln and Charlton Athletic to battle it out next season?
This may not be the first time we see the Imps do battle with Charlton over the next year. Both clubs are highly ambitious, and you would expect them to be driven by their end-of-season performances to take into this coming season.
With both clubs dipping into the transfer market, a target of promotion would most likely be expected from both should they continue their form. Lincoln were one of the most prolific teams in the league in terms of goalscoring towards the end, driving them towards the playoffs, and that can very much be attributed to the mentality that new head coach Michael Skubala implemented in the players.
While the Imps were not the highest-scoring team in the league, that could very much be due to the poor form shown before Skubala’s appointment. Charlton scored one less goal than the side but remained with just one win in their final five fixtures, with little to play for in those games.
Adding a previous third-tier league winner to their ranks would show some serious intent for the coming season from Lincoln, and partnering a midfielder like Ethan Erhahon would make them a force to be reckoned with next season past their goalscoring exploits.