League One Lincoln City have agreed a deal with former Derby County defender Sonny Bradley, who spent the latter half of last season on loan with Wycombe Wanderers. This comes following his release from Pride Park at the end the 2024-25 campaign.
The 33-year-old defender could be seen as an ideal replacement following the departure of Paudie O’Connor on Wednesday to Reading on a four year deal. The Imps captain left the club on a free transfer after his contract expired
Lincoln City Set to Sign Derby County’s Sonny Bradley on a Free Transfer
Lincoln City have made a contract offer to Bradley, who appeared in the Derby County’s released list following the conclusion of the 2025/26 campaign. The experienced defender would be the first signing through the door at the LNER Stadium as Michael Skubala’s side look to replace some of their star players this summer after the departures of previously mentioned O’Connor and fellow defender Sean Roughan (Huddersfield Town). They did however confirm the return of Zane Okoro, who has signed a new contract after exploring options elsewhere.
Reports yesterday from FLW suggested that an offer had been made to the player, with Pete O’Rourke later suggesting that a deal has been agreed. THE DECK’s Ryan Whelan has also confirmed via our own sources that a deal is closing in on completion.
Bradley’s Previous Experiences
The 33 year old has played for a number of clubs in his career. This includes Hull City and Luton Town – with the latter falling during the Hatters’ promotion to the Premier League.
The English defender had joined his previous side Derby County two years ago following his release from Luton Town.
In his spell at the Pride Park outfit, Bradley was able to play a big part in Derby’s EFL League One promotion winning 2023-24 campaign. This included playing 33 times during the campaign.
However, the defender was only able to play 7 times in the 2024-25 EFL Championship campaign. This led to him being loaned out to Wycombe Wanderers. Whilst with Wycombe, he was able to make 21 appearances whilst also scoring on 2 occasions.
His time with the Wanderers also included the EFL League One Play-Offs. However, Wycombe lost in the semi-final preventing Bradley from gaining a third EFL League One promotion.
Following a slow start to the summer transfer window at Lincoln, Bradley would fall as the Imps’ first signing of the summer and may offer some Lincoln fans some comfort following the departures of O’Connor and Sean Roughan – who joined Huddersfield Town earlier in the window.
What Attributes Will Sonny Bradley Bring To Lincoln City?
The 33 year old can be seen to be a good defender when the ball is on the floor. This judgement comes as a result of Bradley winning 75% of his tackles as well as winning 66.3% of his duels. This arguably shows that for the majority, he is good at the principles required to be a defender.
If we were to compare this to Paudie O’Connor’s statistics, we can see that the two defenders are similar in some ways. Bradley can be seen to be more accurate at tackling as O’Connor only achieved a 68.9% successful tackle rate. This is slightly lower than the 33 year old’s 75% success rate.
However, a key area where the two players differ is discipline. Whilst Paudie O’Connor was one of only 7 players to pick up two red cards or more last season, Sonny Bradley only picked up 1 red card. As well as this, O’Connor picked up 10 yellow cards for Lincoln City during the 2024-25 season whilst Bradley only picked up 2 yellow cards.
Therefore, in recruiting Bradley on a free deal, the Sincil Bank outfit will be getting a calmer, composed and more experienced player than the player who led the defensive line last season.
Finally, with Lincoln City typically recruiting players aged 25 and under, Bradley, at 33, would bring experience and leadership to the side. This, alongside his experience being promoted out of EFL League One, could be crucial in the Imps pursuit for promotion next season.
Where Does The Defender Fit In?
From his games at Wycombe, we can see that the defender only typically plays at centre-back. If he were to come into the team, he would arguably slot into Paudie O’Connor’s position at left centre-back.
This position would be suited to Bradley due to his left-footed status. Furthermore, it is the exact position he played whilst at Wycombe Wanderers. In this position, he would also be partnering up with Thomas Hamer.
At 25, Hamer would be the younger of the centre-back pairing. This could mean that the central defender leans on Bradley for guidance and support during the season. With the 33 year old’s previous experience, this is something that he should be able to do.
The Ideal O’Connor Replacement?
Signing Sonny Bradley would mean recruiting through experience and moving away from Lincoln’s typical recruitment strategy. However, an experienced promotion winning player – especially in defence – may be just what the Imps need if they are to pursue promotion next season.
From a perspective of experience and previous success, Bradley looks like the perfect replacement for O’Connor, as a player and potentially a captain. Furthermore, it can be argued that this is a good signing and one that brings calmness to a young Lincoln City squad.
With the attributes required to be a solid and composed defender, he could be a key part of the Imps’ mission for the upcoming season.