Lincoln City head coach Michael Skubala has insisted that striker Freddie Draper is not for sale following heavy interest in League Two leaders Walsall.
The 20-year-old enjoyed an excellent loan spell with the Saddlers during the first half of last season, scoring 10 goals in 22 league appearances. However, with Lincoln struggling in front of goal, the decision was made to cut his temporary stint in the West Midlands short in order to bring him back to the LNER Stadium.
Draper has played a bit-part role at the Imps this season though, finding himself behind Bailey Cadamarteri, Jovon Makama and Ben House in the pecking order. This led to speculation that he would be allowed to depart the club this month.
Walsall have had to contend with the loss of top scorer Nathan Lowe, with Stoke City announcing last week that he would be returning to the bet365 Stadium. This has led to them reigniting their interest in Draper. It was claimed that they had launched a £230,000 bid, which was rejected by Lincoln.
Lincoln have now rejected a £230k offer from Walsall for Freddie Draper. The striker could now be offered a new deal to remain at the LNER Stadium. [@JacobsBen]#WeAreImps #Saddlers
— The Real EFL (@RealEFLSocial) January 17, 2025
Skubala Addresses Speculation
Lincoln ended a six game winless run in all competitions on Saturday with a 1-0 win over Northampton Town. It was the second successive game in which Draper had been chosen to lead the line having also started the EFL Trophy defeat against Bolton Wanderers.
Speaking after the game, Skubala addressed the speculation surrounding the academy graduate:
“No. He is not leaving the club. He’s part of us and at this moment in time, he will not be leaving the club.
“He gives us something different and is one of our own who we want to look after. He’s still got development to do but he’s staying with us.
“We really believe in Freddie and I think today (Saturday), in those types of games, you can see where Freddie comes alive.
“He was holding it up for us. I thought he was great and he showed why he is at the club.”
Writer’s View
It’s not a huge surprise to see Lincoln take this stance. They have consistently stated over the past few months that they believed in the young talent coming through the club. with Draper and Makama perhaps the crown jewels thus far. It’s arguable that Draper may benefit from a loan where he can play regularly but Walsall wanted a permanent deal, which the Imps are not willing to entertain. Another striker is expected at Sincil Bank before the end of the transfer window, so it will be interesting to see if he does leave on a temporary deal over the course of the next two weeks.