Former Lincoln City Striker Secures £100,000 MLS Switch

Former Lincoln City striker Jordan Adebayo-Smith has signed for Major League Soccer side Minnesota United FC in a deal worth $125,000 (£100,000).

23-year-old Adebayo-Smith was a scholar with the Imps during the rein of Danny Cowley, impressing during a trial by scoring in a pre-season game against Derby County Under 23s. He impressed enough to be tracked by Huddersfield and Wolves during his time at Lincoln, making a senior debut as the Imps drew 2-2 with Accrington in the 2018/19 Checkatrade Trophy. That turned out to be his only game for the club.

He later had loan spells with local non-league sides Boston United, Grantham Town, and Gainsborough Trinity. He appeared for the latter six times, scoring twice, but the spell was cut short by the COVID pandemic. In October 2020, with no further senior football, he was released by mutual consent, joining Sutton United, for whom he appeared once.

Like Morgan Worsfold-Gregg, who left the Imps for the US this week, Adebayo-Smith then tried his luck stateside, joining Tampa Bay Rowdies in the USL Championship. He had a loan spell with New York Red Bulls II at the same level before joining New England Revolution II in December 2022. His time playing for the MLS Next club has been a huge success – he scored 12 goals and added three assists, and that’s seen him get his MLS chance with Minnesota United.

Transfers don’t quite work in the same way over there as they do here. The Loons have sent New England $125,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM), which allows them to acquire the strikers Affiliate Priority Player Rights. There could be an additional fee of $50k in performance-based GAM if the California-born player does well.

Minnesota currently have former Norwich City and Finland striker Teemu Pukki as their lead attacker, with Adebayo-Smith expected to play backup. The Loons finished 11th in the Western Conference last season and 21st overall, their worst placing since inception in 2017.

Writer’s View

There was a time when Lincoln City supporters thought Jordan Adebayo-Smith was going to be the next big thing. There are some that still do and feel his departure was unfortunate due not only to a lack of chances but also the months he missed through the pandemic. If he’d bagged eight or nine goals at Gainsborough instead of having the lay-off, perhaps the club could have stuck with him? If financial challenges and wage restrictions hadn’t come into play, maybe they could have kept him on.

Ifs and maybes don’t score goals or win football matches, and the youngster did leave, but he’s making a career for himself in the US. His climb from USL to MLS Next and now MLS is reflective of his ability, seen in glimpses at Lincoln. He was always quick and a good finisher, but now he’s adding experience to his game.As a US-born player, he could even be eligble to play for the USMNT in his career, and plying his trade in the top flight will do wonders for his cause.