The consequences of Wycombe Wanderers missing out on promotion to the Championship may become clear early in the summer transfer window as their star player is now reportedly attracting interest from a host of clubs in the second tier and beyond.Â
The departure of Matt Bloomfield in January proved to be an unsuccessful move all round as the Chairboys missed out on a spot in the second tier.
Their former manager will be back in League One in 2025/26 as his record of six wins from 20 matches in charge of Luton Town was not enough to keep the club in the Championship.
Poacher Attracting Interest After Stellar Campaign
Richard Kone arrived at Wycombe Wanderers on the 1st of January 2024 and became an instant hit, providing six goal contributions in the same number of starts in League One.
However, it was in the current season when the forward began to catch fire and become a standout name. The 21-year-old scored 16 goals by the end of January to fire the team into contention for automatic promotion.
Kone was clinical inside the penalty area and comfortably scored with either foot, a rare trait for modern elite strikers at EFL level.
13 of his 18 total strikes were inside the 18-yard box, but his form dipped with the rest of the team after the departure of Bloomfield. Only four players, however, could boast a higher contribution of 21 goal involvements in League One.
It was to be expected that there would be interest in his services this summer as the player has shown with his all-round game, in addition to his goalscoring abilities, that he is ready to step up to Championship level. If reports are to be believed, there could be quite a scramble for the impressive Ivory Coast player.
Wycombe Wanderers Prepare Record Offer to Fend Off Championship Clubs
In what can be viewed as a sign of the club’s ambition, EFL Analysis are reporting that Wycombe Wanderers are prepared to make Kone a club-record offer in terms of wages to convince their star man to stay at Adams Park this summer.
The club are hoping to convince the player to stay amid interest from clubs in the report, such as Birmingham City, who stormed to the League One title. The Blues can offer the forward the chance to play alongside Alfie May and Jay Stansfield in a star-studded attack.
Other big names mentioned are Premier League new boys Burnley, in addition to relegated duo Southampton and Ipswich Town. The Tractor Boys are searching for a replacement for Liam Delap, who has joined Chelsea. They could do much worse than Kone, who has the work-rate and finishing ability to help partially fill the gap left by Delap’s departure.
The level of sides interested may make it seem improbable that Kone will stay at Wycombe Wanderers this summer.
If they are prepared, however, to offer the player a wage packet that would be the biggest in the club’s history, it cannot be said that they have not pulled out all the stops to keep him.
