Chester striker Kurt Willoughby is attracting interest from a host of clubs, according to reports from FootballInsider247.
The National League North attacker is set to be a free agent this summer and has Cheltenham, Newport County and Oldham Athletic fighting over his services.
Who Is Kurt Willoughby?
Spending the last two seasons playing for the Seals and York City in the National League South, Willoughby has been a regular performer with 27 goals in 85 appearances over the last two years.
The former FC United of Manchester product has already enjoyed time at three different clubs across his young career, spending two seasons in the National League with AFC Fylde before dropping down a level.
Struggling to consistently find the back of the net early on in his career, the number nine shot onto the scene this year with 20 goals in the league. Tied fourth for top goalscorer in the division, Willoughby’s performances helped Chester to a third-place finish in the sixth tier of English football, where they unfortunately lost 1-0 to Brackley Town in the playoff semi-finals.
Is He Ready For The Football League?
With just three full seasons of football under his belt at the non-league level, a jump to League One or Two would be steep. However, coming off a tremendous season which has seen him be the top scorer for his club, it’s no surprise teams at higher levels are eying up a move for the 25-year-old.
Writer’s View
Willoughby has had a great lone season for the Seals this year, and is now being rewarded with interest from EFL clubs. However, with just one successful season to go off of, a move to a club like Cheltenham or Newport would be risky for both the player and the team.
As his time at AFC Fylde in the National League didn’t go to plan, I would like to see the striker redeem himself at that level first before a big move to the Football League opens up for him.
