Lincoln City boss Michael Appleton has hinted at the departure of a striker this transfer window, which is likely to pique the interest of supporters from a number of clubs.
The Imps are being linked with a move for Tom Hopper, having already brought Tyreece John-Jules to the club from Arsenal. That leaves leading scorer Tyler Walker and former Barnet man John Akinde making up the quartet of strikers possibly on their books.
Appleton told Linc Sport this morning that he won’t give any promises, but that he could be down to three strikers by the time the transfer window has ended.
“I cant give you any guarantees but we will possibly be down to three strikers at the end of the window,” said the former Manchester United midfielder “With three or four strikers in the building, having them options gives you much more opportunities to win the game.”
That means either a recall for Tyler Walker, or a move for John Akinde. The likelihood is an exit for Akinde; it’s believed there isn’t a standard recall option in place for Walker and for Forest to get him back would require a cash payment as well as agreement from all four parties.
Akinde missed this weekend’s 1-0 victory over Blackpool and, in his post-match press conference, Appleton was coy as to the reasons. Pre-game he’d suggested the striker had told the club he was injured, not the other way around.
It’s believed he had been looking at a move to Gillingham, with some sources also suggesting Leyton Orient could be his intended destination.
Akinde move to Lincoln from Barnet in the summer of 2018 and has scored 25 goals in 80 outings in all competitions.
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Akinde has scored regularly in League One, perhaps not as regularly as some Lincoln fans might have liked though.
He missed the game this weekend and there seemed to be an undercurrent to his absence. Michael Appleton usually keeps fans informed but didn’t seem to have the answers.
Akinde has always been based in the south and a move back down there seems likely for his young family. If he could recapture his Barnet form, someone would get a bargain.
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