The future of former Plymouth Argyle striker Luke Jephcott is very much up in the air after being released from the Home Park outfit upon the expiration of his contract, but what shirt will he be pulling on next season?Â
The 23-year-old Welsh striker looked to be one of the hottest prospects amongst the whole EFL ever since breaking into the Plymouth Argyle first-team in which during his time at the club, Jephcott netted a total of 37 goals in 118 appearances for the Devon-based side.
Amongst those goals, the Welshman’s best goal-scoring season to date came in the 2021/22 season, where he scored a total of 18 goals in all competitions in Argyle’s first season back in League One, with his red-hot form attracting interest from clubs higher up the football pyramid as a result.
With his blistering form for Plymouth somewhat stalling despite hitting a respectable 12 goals in 45 appearances in the next campaign, the striker born in Aberystwyth was sent out on loan to League Two Swindon Town for the 22/23 season, in which Jephcott scored a total of seven goals in 36 games during his time in Wiltshire in which the club finished the League Two season 10th in the table.
Following his recent season-long loan spell at the County Ground, with his deal at Plymouth Argyle set to come to an end, he is to depart the recently promoted Championship side upon the expiration of his contract after being released by the club, making the 23-year-old a free agent and available to a whole host of clubs.
With that in mind, here is a list of five potential clubs that I think Jephcott could look to move to over the coming weeks…
Bradford City
Kicking things off for potential clubs for Luke Jephcott is in the form of Bradford City, in which I feel moving to the University of Bradford Stadium could possibly be a good move for the striker to get his career somewhat back on track, whether the club are playing in League One or League Two.
Under the managerial experience of fellow Welshman Mark Hughes, he could be the man to inject a new lease of life into the striker, regardless of what division the club finds themselves in next season. As well as that, Having Jephcott on their books could be a good option to have either with or without star striker Andy Cook next to him, with his future at the club very much up in the air. Regardless of Cook’s scenario however, I think signing for Bradford could be seen as a good fit for the striker at this moment in time as it gives them that extra option in attack.
Wrexham
Next up on the list is recently promoted League Two side Wrexham, which I’ve picked more along the lines of the striker being closer to home in his native Wales. He would be a striker in which I feel could give Phil Parkinson’s side a different type of style compared to what Wrexham already have.
As much as it could be seen as a decent fit which makes some sense, there is the question hanging over him as to how much game time he will actually get at the Racecourse ground, with the club having the instrumental Paul Mullin on their books, as well as possessing other good options such as Ollie Palmer and Sam Dalby, making it a challenge for Jephcott to break in.
Grimsby Town
A club that I can see being a really good fit for the 23-year-old striker over the summer is Grimsby Town, who are very much in a market for a few forward players to add to their ranks as they search for a permanent proven striker to take the club to the next level in League Two.
As well as adding more goals to his side ahead of next season, playing under a manager like Paul Hurst could be huge to rebuild Jephcott’s confidence and get him firing again to the levels he previously was at League One level. It could potentially be a match made in heaven for both parties in this case if he was to make the move to Blundell Park.
Tranmere Rovers
Another club that I feel would suit a striker like Luke Jephcott is Tranmere Rovers as they look to build on their 12th-place finish in League Two in order to push for a potential return to League One under recently appointed manager Ian Dawes.
Another club with location on his side with Jephcott being closer to his native Wales, there is potential for him to be a potential hit at the Prenton Park outfit, with fellow strikers Kane Hemmings and Harvey Saunders being amongst the other options already at the club. With that, I think there is real potential that the 23-year-old could partner up with one of those two up front next season and potentially cause some havoc.
Cheltenham Town
Finally, to complete the list, I’ve gone from Cheltenham Town as an option in League One for Jephcott which potentially could hand the striker another opportunity to play his trade in the third division of English Football.
I think the thinking behind this one is mainly down to the future of star forward Alfie May, with the 29-year-old forward attracting interest from higher up the football pyramid after a stellar season in which the former Doncaster man has hit 20 goals in 39 appearances for the club.
Even if he was to not depart the club, Cheltenham will surely be in the market for a forward player and if a League One club were to give him another shot at playing in the third division, they would be hopeful he can possibly hit the figures he was once getting at Plymouth Argyle.
With Luke Jephcott sure to be a target for plenty of teams this summer, he will be a decent acquisition for whichever club he ends up at, but what club do you think the striker will join?
At Swindon many people referred to him as the invisible man. It was like playing with only 10 men. Plymouth fans didn’t rate him even though he hit a purple patch with them. Maybe he will come good again one day but most Swindon fans were relieved to see him go.