With the 2025-26 season less than a month away, Stevenage have reportedly joined the race to sign the League Two player of the season.
The Hertfordshire side are rumoured to have had multiple bids rejected for Bromley striker Michael Cheek. The 33 year old is subject to significant interest from a number of EFL clubs having submitted a transfer request earlier on in the window.
Who is Michael Cheek?
The 33 year old spent the entirety of his career in non-league prior to last season’s League Two campaign. Cheek started his career in Essex with Stanway Rovers in 2008 before a number of moves saw him arrive in the National League South with Chelmsford City in 2014.
The striker continuously found the back of the net for the Clarets before stepping up to the National League with Braintree Town in 2015. The 33 year old became one of the fifth tier’s prolific goalscorers and moved to Bromley in 2019.
Cheek scored 93 goals across the next five seasons and helped the Kent side win the FA Trophy in 2022 before securing promotion to the EFL through the play-offs in 2024. Having finished as League Two’s top scorer last season, Stevenage have reportedly seen a number of bids rejected in their aim of signing the 33 year old.
What could Michael Cheek bring to Stevenage?
The biggest reason why Stevenage would be looking to bring Cheek to the Lamex Stadium is his goal scoring ability. The striker scored 25 goals in the fourth tier last season from an expected goals (xG) figure of 22.31.
Outscoring his xG isn’t the only thing that proves his quality in front of goal. The 33 year old is ambipedal and scored a number of headed goals alongside those with both feet.
On top of his goal scoring prowess is his capability to bring other teammates into play. Cheek totalled seven assists across the season and created an average of 0.9 chances per 90 minutes.
One reason why his goal scoring records may be high is because of his ability to beat opposition defenders. The Bromley striker won an average of 9.35 duels per 90 minutes last season with a 48.5% success rate.
On top of this, his aerial ability allows him to score a number of headers and win flick ons for his team mates. The 33 year old won 7.86 aerial duels per 90 minutes on average and according to fotmob’s player traits graphic, won 98% more aerial duels than other strikers in League Two.
Cheek’s manager Woodman had significant praise for his striker after his impressive League Two campaign:
“Michael Cheek has been brilliant all season; if you put the ball in the box he’s unmarkable”
Is Michael Cheek a good signing for Stevenage?
It is clear from last season’s League One campaign that Stevenage are in need of improving their attacking options. The Hertfordshire side were 22nd in the third tier for goals per match with 0.9 goals and missed a total of 47 ‘big chances’ across the season.
With this in mind it is understandable why Stevenage would be looking to recruit someone with Cheek’s goal scoring record. Despite this, paying a fee for Cheek may not be a smart move for Boro.
Despite finishing as League Two’s top scorer last season, Cheek is due to turn 34 in the first month of the new season. It is likely that the striker only has a season or two left before his output will reduce which means paying a fee for his services might be an incredibly short term strategy from Stevenage.
On top of this is the contrast in playing style between Bromley and Alex Revell’s Stevenage. Woodman’s Bromley play an attritional style of play predominantly centred around direct football.
The Kent side were ranked sixth in League Two for accurate crosses per match last season with 4.7 per match which brings the best out of Cheek’s skill set. On the other hand, Revell’s Stevenage were ranked 15th with an average of 3.8 accurate crosses per match and a cross success rate of 23.2%.
The League One side looked to implement a system based upon high pressing and winning the ball in high areas. This was emphasised by Stevenage’s ranking of fifth for possession won in the final third per match at an average of 3.9 times.
Taking this into account, Cheek may not be the best striker for Stevenage to spend a significant portion of their budget on. The 33 year old’s ability to score goals is unquestionable but questions over style of play and longevity of output should be taken into account by Stevenage when recruiting a new goalscorer.