Bolton Wanderers and Bradford City told of 'inevitable' transfer situation - they can land 'phenomenal player' | OneFootball

FLW's Exeter City fan pundit is expecting offers to come in for Jayden Wareham that his side won't be able to turn down

One of the standout stars of this year's League One campaign has been Exeter City's Jayden Wareham.

The 22-year-old didn't set the world alight at Reading in his first third-tier campaign last year, but at St James Park, he's been electric in front of goal, with Leyton Orient's Dom Ballard the only man to net more in league action.

Despite that, Exeter are currently embroiled in a hotly contested relegation battle down at the bottom of the division, and Wareham's goals may not be enough to keep the Grecians from falling into League Two.

If relegation does come, you can bet that there'd be interest forming for him, and both Bolton Wanderers and Bradford City are two sides who have been credited with just that, as reported exclusively by Football League World.

But, with the need to bring money into the club, there's a likelihood that Wareham may be on his way out of Exeter this summer, irrespective of what division they find themselves in for the 2026/27 campaign.

Exeter City fan pundit highlights inevitability of a Jayden Wareham sale this summer

There have been numerous exciting young stars who have made a name for themselves at Exeter before being sold on for profit elsewhere.

The likes of Ollie Watkins, Ethan Ampadu, and Matt Grimes, just to name three, have all carved a career out of the academy at St James Park, but the Grecians also excel at bringing the best out of players who may have lost their way elsewhere, such as Wareham, for example.

As a fan-owned club, player sales are vital for Exeter to operate, but when teams with Championship ambitions are being linked, FLW's Grecians fan pundit, Dylan Verschoren, thinks an exit is "inevitable."

"I expect him to leave this summer," he said. "It happens to a lot of our players, especially good ones such as Jayden. It happened when Sam Nombe went to Rotherham, and even the likes of Jayden Stockley many years ago, so I just think it's inevitable.

"If we go down, it's nailed on. If we stay up, we may have a chance, as he clearly loves the club, but teams like Bolton and Bradford are targeting him, who are fighting to get into the Championship.

"Even if they stay down, he'd be a good fit for either of them. He's a phenomenal player who has really turned his career around at Exeter. He's been my player of the season, so many goals, so clinical, one or two big misses maybe, like at Argyle, but no striker is perfect, and he's still one of the best in the league.

"I think it's a no-brainer that sides like Bolton and Bradford would go for him, especially if they stay down for another year and are looking at the play-offs."

Indeed, while FLW reported that low-end Championship clubs are among the sides interested in Wareham, Verschoren believes that he'd be a perfect fit for a top-end League One side next season.

Regardless of who ends up landing him this summer, the fan pundit has stressed the importance of getting a good fee for him, as that is ultimately what allows a club such as Exeter to stay afloat and keep being competitive in the football league.

"I think he will be in high demand for sides at the top. I can see someone like Stockport coming in for him, but I think, in our position, as long as we get the most money we can, it's inevitable that he will leave," he added.

"We're just lucky that Jayden is actually under contract, so we can get a bit of money for him, which would help with our financial struggles, especially if we went down.

"We'd miss him. I might be biased, but he's definitely one of the top five strikers in the league. He's a fantastic player, proven that time and time again, and has that League One experience. So I do expect him to leave, but if he stays, I'll be over the moon."

Jayden Wareham can deliver the perfect parting gift by helping Exeter City stay in League One

Exeter looked down and out on Good Friday, losing a massive relegation six-pointer at Blackpool to extend their winless run at the time to 16 games.

However, a massive 3-0 win against Doncaster Rovers, backed up by draws against Plymouth Argyle and Stockport, has reignited their survival hopes ahead of the final two games. That, paired with a dire run from AFC Wimbledon, has them just two points adrift of safety.

With goals seemingly flowing once more, Exeter are playing with confidence, and a win at Burton Albion on Saturday could see them out of danger heading into the final day, if their former boss, Gary Caldwell, can do them a favour by leading Wigan Athletic to a win over the Dons.

If they are going to secure another season in League One, then you feel that Wareham, who has three goals in this three-game run, will be at the forefront of it.

If it is an inevitability that he will leave this summer, regardless of which league Exeter finds itself in, then there'd be no better parting gift than to be the man to keep them in League One.