A Lincoln City official has said the club still have a lot to do as they look to expand their recruitment horizons to foreign leagues.
Jez George revealed, in a recent article with Off The Field, that the Imps are only just starting the expansion of their recruitment search with a move into the Scandinavian market.
The Sky Bet League One club signed wing-back Erik Ring from Swedish side AIK in the summer of 2024, making their first move into that talent pool.
What has Jez George said?
Speaking to Off The Field, who specialise in work around the financial side of football, George said: “We still have a lot to do in these countries. You need to build a network among agents, sporting directors, club owners, etc.
“It’s a slow process, but it’s essential. You can’t just identify a player through data, fly in, and sign him. It doesn’t work like that—at least not with our budgets.”
He was asked if Lincoln City considered the Scandinavian market as a “test”, to which the Imps director of football replied: “The expansion of our recruitment strategy has just started, we have to earn the rights to take new steps.”
Lincoln City have to “earn the right”:
George stating that Lincoln have to “earn” their passage into other global markets reveals that their is a pathway towards further expansion that City wish to explore.
Lincoln have made a habit out of dipping their toe into the League of Ireland, picking up attacking midfielder Jack Moylan just over a year ago.
However, the talk during the most recent summer transfer window was about exploring new markets, with the Scandinavian leagues becoming the first part of that.
They have focused on Sweden, Norway and Denmark so far, according to the Off The Field article.
Erik Ring potentially just the beginning – Opinion:
It may turn out that Erik Ring was just the beginning. We could look back in the years to come and see that the former Swedish youth international was not a flash in the pan for Lincoln’s overseas recruitment, but instead the genesis of a new wave.
The Imps seem to want to cast their net even wider still, but admit that they must prove themselves before going all in. Reading between the lines of what Lincoln City’s Jez George says, it appears that their new Swedish star, and the Scandinavian market as a hole is a trial.
That leaves open the option of further expanding their source across different parts of the world.
The Imps are a club looking to go one step further, but only time will tell if their global recruitment designs turn out to be a success.