League One side Lincoln City are reportedly not considering a move for forward Lee Bonis despite reports from the Belfast Telegraph, in a boost to Wycombe Wanderers and Burton Albion, according to The Real EFL journalist Gary Hutchinson.
News broke earlier in the month that Lincoln City were attempting a double swoop of Larne pair Lee Bonis and Dylan Sloan. The Imps have often looked to sign players from the Irish markets, having previously secured the likes of Jack Moylan, Danny Mandroiu and Sean Roughan from the League of Ireland in recent years. The Deck revealed that Lincoln City were hopeful of securing a “quick striker who can get in behind and finish well” as well as two midfielders one a more physical defensive minded plaeyr and one who is a more creative spark.
The reported targets of Bonis and Sloan certainly appeared to fit the criteria being looked at, however, according to Hutchinson (a well respected source for Lincoln City news) the story is simply not true. Wycombe Wanderers and Burton Albion have also been credited with an interest in recent weeks, with Blackpool, Birmingham City, Wigan Athletic, Portsmouth and Derby County all linked in the past.
Why was the story reported?
It is likely that the club were looking at drumming up interest in the player, at 25 years old and off the back of an impressive goalscoring season, his value could be peaking. Lincoln City are well known for plucking talent from across the Irish sea and a link in the media could prompt other clubs to sit up and pay attention. The Imps have also been linked with a move for the player in the past, in 2021, Alan Nixon reported that Lincoln City wouldn’t meet the increased fee required to sign the player.
What does this mean for Lincoln’s transfer window?
Lincoln are a club that are reasonably sensible when it comes to transfers, they won’t throw money around or spend beyond their means and will likely have a long list of targets. Rather interestingly the initial report mentions both Sloan and Bonis, yet the club have only denied Bonis at this stage. The Imps targets are very rarely reported in the media until late in the process as they have few leaks, so it is likely there will be a few surprises this transfer window.