A number of League Two sides are likely to be getting their cheque books ready in order to improve their squad in the upcoming transfer window. One side are reportedly interested in delving into the non-league market to boost their attacking options.
Fleetwood Town have supposedly been interested in adding Altrincham striker Regan Linney to their attacking options. The striker has been on fire so far this season and is likely to be on the shopping lists of a number of clubs but may be, like Fleetwood are, put off the £200,000 asking price from the National League side.
Who is Regan Linney?
Regan Linney has played the entirety of his footballing career within non-league but has gradually worked his way up the pyramid. The 27 year old started his career with Lancashire side Bamber Bridge. His first foray into men’s football was at the age of 17 with the Brig and his impressive performances saw him move onto FC United of Manchester in 2019.
After a four year spell with the Red Rebels the striker moved for an undisclosed fee to Altrincham and has had an impressive season with the Robins so far which has reportedly caught the eye of Fleetwood Town in League Two.
Why do Fleetwood Town need Linney?
Having been relegated from League One last season, the Cod Army have not had the season that they would have been wanting so far. They currently sit 18th in League Two with 23 points from 19 games, albeit with a game in hand on a number of sides around them.
With the aim of competing towards the top end of the table and promotion back to League One the club parted company with Head Coach Charlie Adam this morning. In order to compete at the top end of the division, the club are likely to need a goalscorer which is where Linney could come in.
The Cod Army are currently ranked 12th in the league for goals per match with 1.3 goals. Coupled with this is the fact that the club currently rank fifth for big chances missed this season with 26 suggesting that they would benefit with a player like Linney leading the line.
On top of this is the fact that the club’s top scorer is Ronan Coughlan with six goals this season. Their next top scorer from the attackers on the books at Fleetwood is Ryan Graydon with three goals showing the need for a striker like Linney in their front line.
What would Linney bring to Fleetwood Town?
Linney and Altrincham are having an impressive season once again in the National League this season and their manager Phil Parkinson is clear of the impact that the striker has on his side:
“We’ve got one of the best marksmen in the division in Regan, and we knew that if we gave him the right service, he would propel us up the table, which is what he is doing”.
The statistics seemingly back up Parkinson’s opinion on his striker as well. Linney is second in the National League goalscoring charts with 14 goals at an average of a goal every 115 minutes. The 27 year old provides a consistent goal threat for the National League play-off chasers as well with 1.2 shots on target per game.
The former FC United man provides more than just goals for his side. Linney has registered five assists so far this season and has a passing accuracy of 69% which allows him to link up play with other attacking players in the Altrincham side. He is also capable of taking on opposition defenders in 1 v 1 situations having completed 70% of dribbles successfully this season.
With the gap between the National League and League Two decreasing season by season, there is little reason why Linney’s impressive performances in the fifth tier wouldn’t translate to Fleetwood in the fourth tier.
How likely is the move to Fleetwood Town?
As mentioned, Altrincham rate their striker highly and are rumoured to have a £200,000 price tag on their top scorer. The striker signed a new deal with the Robins in October so it is no surprise that the National League side have put that price tag on Linney.
The asking price is reportedly too much for Fleetwood’s liking but Altrincham did sell last season’s National League player-of-the-year, Chris Conn-Clarke in the summer so have been willing to sell their best players as long as the price is right.
The Cod Army may have to work hard in order to get the asking price for Linney to come down, especially considering the fact that the Robins look set to battle for promotion to the EFL through the play-offs once again this season.