Football League World
·13. November 2024
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·13. November 2024
We asked our Lincoln City fan pundit what concerns he had ahead of the January transfer window
This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...
Michael Skubala has been told to address Lincoln City's lack of cover at centre-back when the January transfer window opens.
Lincoln currently have the likes of Adam Jackson and Tom Hamer out injured, leaving them short of options at the back, and it's been deemed a "cause for concern" ahead of the January window.
The Imps are currently flying high in League One and occupy a play-off position, so it's important to strengthen the squad in January to ensure they remain in the mix for promotion, and being adequately covered in a key position like centre-back will be important for that.
Meanwhile, star midfielder Ethan Erhahon is expected to attract interest when the transfer window opens, and our Lincoln City fan pundit wouldn't be too concerned if the club chose to cash in on him.
We asked our Lincoln City fan pundit, Gary Hutchinson, if he had any concerns prior to the January transfer window, and he believes that the lack of cover in central defence is something that needs addressing.
Speaking to Football League World, Gary said: "In terms of concerns ahead of the January transfer window, the only one that really stands out is a lack of cover at centre-back.
“Adam Jackson is currently injured but will hopefully be back by Christmas time. Tom Hamer is out for a couple of months, and we play there at the back, which leaves just Lewis Montsma, Sean Roughan and Paudie O’Connor.
“We have options. Tendayi Darikwa can play right-sided centre-back, for instance and I’m sure other players could play there, but that’s the one concern that probably needs addressing.
“Other than that, we’ve got strength in depth across the squad and even the potential for Ethan Erhahon to move on isn’t hugely concerning. Connor McGrandles has played really well in Ethan’s absence and if he did move on for a big fee it would give us a bit more wriggle room in terms of bringing players in.
“It’s not something I’m hugely concerned about because we’re a club that develops players and sells them.”
Lincoln are currently sat 5th in the League One table, a very decent position when you consider the size of some of the clubs in the division and the budgets they have.
A play-off finish certainly shouldn't be out of the question for Lincoln, and it could come down to how they decide to approach the January window.
As Gary alluded to, while selling Erhahon would be a massive blow on the pitch, it would allow them to strengthen in other positions as Lincoln would surely command a substantial fee for the talented midfielder.
Lincoln can't go and splash the cash like a Wrexham or a Birmingham City could, but they have developed a reputation for being shrewd operators in the transfer market, and a shrewd signing or two in January would leave them very well-placed to sustain a play-off push.