Lincoln City are hopeful to beat both Barnsley and Carlisle United in the race to sign former FC Halifax Town defender Jesse Debrah, according to journalist Darren Witcoop via Twitter.
The 22-year-old, who recently departed the National League side, has been of interest to several EFL clubs after impressing for the Shaymen in the fifth tier, with Walsall also rumoured to be in the race to sign the highly-rated defender.
It was previously understood that Debrah was set to undergo a medical at Barnsley but despite this, the Imps are confident they can beat the Tykes, as well as any other potential opposition, in the race for his signature.
Centre-half Debrah made 59 appearances for FC Halifax Town after joining from Millwall in 2021, scoring three goals in a spell at the club which saw the Shaymen win the FA Trophy at Wembley, courtesy of a 1-0 victory over fellow National League side Gateshead.
In the 2022/23 campaign, the 22-year-old appeared 33 times for the National League side, scoring two goals in a season in which FC Halifax Town would finish 13th in the table, a year on after finishing fourth and nailing down a place in the playoffs, in which they went on to lose 2-1 to Chesterfield.
Lincoln are confident of pipping Barnsley and Carlisle to the signing of FC Halifax Town defender Jesse Debrah #lincolncity #barnsleyfc
— Darren Witcoop (@DarrenOWitcoop) July 20, 2023
A promising season ahead?
Lincoln City will be looking to make the next step in League One in the upcoming campaign after a strong 11th-place finish in 2022/23, finishing the season with 62 points, with the club winning 14 matches and drawing 20 games, the most in the league.
In terms of recruitment, Mark Kennedy’s side have certainly been active in the transfer window so far, bringing in the likes of left-back Jaden Brown from recently promoted Sheffield Wednesday, alongside attackers Reeco Hackett and Tyler Walker, who have signed for the Imps from Portsmouth and Coventry City respectively.
Other arrivals at the LNER Stadium over the summer include goalkeeper Lukas Jensen from Premier League newcomers Burnley, as well as Alistair Smith, with the midfielder arriving in Lincolnshire from League Two side Sutton United.
Writer’s View
Jesse Debrah has been one of the sort-after defenders for quite some time now and if Lincoln City was to snap him up, it would be such a coup for the Imps. The same could be said if he was to end up elsewhere for that matter.
Debrah is a strong, intelligent defender and at 22 years old, there is plenty of growth left in the centre-back, with the potential to sell him on in the future for possibly a large sum of money if his form for FC Halifax Town in the National League is anything to go by. Certainly one to keep an eye on.