Lincoln City are edging closer to a deal for Swedish Under 21 star Erik Ring, according to Aftonbladet.
It’s been widely reported that the Imps have been hunting Ring this week, and yesterday it emerged that he had visited Lincoln with a view to making a move. He described the club in favourable terms, referring to their training facilities, but was returned to the AIK squad following his return.
The wide player was on the bench for AIK as they won the Stockholm derby this weekend, but it is now reported he is heading over the England to finalise the deal. Journalist Daniel Kristoffersson states that ‘all parties are in agreement and the transfer is expected to be official shortly‘, although that may be premature. If Ring is heading over to the UK there will still be certain boxes to tick when he arrives, such as a medical with the League One outfit.
The 22-year-old has been with AIK since 2017 and has appeared 47 times. He spent last season on loan at Helsingborgs, where he got a taste of regular first-team action. Since returning to AIK, he’s been on the periphery of the squad, and his contract is due to expire in December. With six outings spread across 156 minutes, he is now looking for regular first team football, having played 29 times for Helsingborgs last season.
It’s believed he was offered a new deal by AIK, with sporting director Thomas Berntsen explaining it was the club’s preference that he stays, but that they wouldn’t stand in his way should a move to England be his choice. It now seems as though the player has chosen, and he is expected to arrive in Lincoln Tuesday to complete the formalities.
The Imps have had an indifferent start to their League One season, beating Burton Albion 3-2 on the opening day, but losing back-to-back home matches against Harrogate Town in the League Cup (2-1) and Barnsley in the league this weekend (2-1).
Writer’s View
Imps fans should be patient – a deal like this takes time to complete and if they are in for Ring, then there will be plenty to do before any announcement is made. However, looking ahead, this does feel like a really interesting move by the Imps.
They need left-sided reinforcements, given that regular left wing-back Reeco Hackett is out injured, and Dylan Duffy, his understudy, has a betting charge hanging over his head. If the latter results in a ban, they would have to rely on midfielder Dom Jeffries, capable of playing there, but very much a square peg in a round hole.
Ring might be a winger, but he has qualities which suit the wing-back position. He’s able to get forward, but he has certain physical traits that would suit Lincoln’s approach. His capture would also finally bring a Scandinavian player to the LNER Stadium, something the club have been teasing all summer.
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