Barnsley, Leicester City & Luton must move as Wycombe make bid for prolific EFL striker | OneFootball

Jayden Wareham was one of League One's top strikers in 2025-26 - and clubs now need to start moving for his services

With just one week remaining of the summer transfer window, it's a real surprise to see Exeter City striker Jayden Wareham still at his current club.

Wareham's 19 goals for the Grecians in League One last season were not enough to keep the Devon outfit in the division, and naturally, speculation quickly became rife over the 23-year-old's St James Park future.

Bristol City were one of the Championship clubs reported to be sniffing around Wareham, who was once on the books of Chelsea as a youngster, whilst Exeter's bitter rivals Plymouth Argyle have been told by FLW's Pilgrims fan pundit to strike a blow and land the centre-forward this summer after Lorent Tolaj's exit.

So far though, it appears that the only big bidding or interest in the final weeks of the window has come from Wycombe Wanderers, who are looking to land Wareham's services, but they have been snubbed so far by Exeter with their advanced.

A number of EFL clubs may be looking for a new striker going into the final week of the window though - FLW takes a look at THREE clubs who simply must join Wycombe in the battle to sign one of the more prolific marksmen of last year.

Barnsley

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The summer transfer window for Barnsley fans has been somewhat of a sobering one.

The return of Daniel Stendel as head coach to succeed Conor Hourihane was met with unanimous approval, with the hope that the German could do what he did the last time he was in League One and guide the Tykes to automatic promotion back to the Championship.

Based on recruitment though, there's not a whole lot to be positive about. There's been some left-field recruits from Europe and even Australia, with Tyrese Noslin, Clayton Taylor and Sam Gale all being 23 and under, as well as bringing first-team experience at various levels.

There's a real lack of depth though in Stendel's squad going into the final week of the window, especially in the final third of the pitch.

Up until now, Reyes Cleary remains at Oakwell in what is perhaps a surprise, but attacking midfielder Adam Phillips left for Bradford City, whilst veteran centre-forward David McGoldrick now finds himself at Mansfield Town.

The only strikers Barnsley have added this summer is Portsmouth's Scottish forward Makenzie Kirk, who scored just once in his 14 Championship showings last season for Pompey, as well as Leicester City youngster Amani Richards, who may operate more as a wide player.

What Barnsley could really do with is a permanent focal point at the top end of the pitch, and Wareham could fit the bill - if the Tykes hierarchy are willing to push the boat out.

Exeter are likely to want more than £1 million for their talisman, and that could somewhat push the purse strings to the limit at Oakwell, but considering the lack of the type of physical player that Wareham is, he'd be well-worth the money.

Leicester City

For anyone who thought Leicester City may run away with League One in 2026-27, there's been a real reality check after the first two matches.

Many factors have put the Foxes at the forefront of people's thoughts for an immediate Championship return. Russell Martin as head coach, the recruitment of proven players such as Wes Burns, Conor Chaplin and others. The experience of Harry Souttar, Stephy Mavididi, Bobby De-Cordova Reid, and the potential of the likes of Sammy Braybrooke, Will Alves and Olabade Aluko that is ready to explode at the King Power Stadium.

A draw away at Notts County and a sobering home loss to Burton Albion though may have tempered expectations somewhat, and it's signalled the need to perhaps do more business when it comes to signings before 11pm on September 1.

There was an unexpected arrival at the East Midlands outfit recently in the form of Olimpija Ljubljana's Bosnian centre-forward Admir Bristric, who was thrown straight into the starting 11 by Martin against the Brewers.

But he was up against it as his side had a man disadvantage - zero shots, dispossessed 13 times, and winning just four of his 10 ground duels shows it's going to be a bit of a learning curve for the Eastern European forward.

What Leicester maybe need is some proven EFL goals - Wareham is a striker that has already been linked with a move to the King Power this summer, and with Martin lacking striker options at the club, a late move for his services could be the tonic that's needed to give the likes of Burns, Chaplin and Tommy Watson something to feed off their supply.

Luton Town

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On the face of it, given they've scored six times in their opening two matches, Luton Town maybe don't need a striker as urgently as Barnsley and Leicester do.

Looking deeper into it though, both Lasse Nordas and Jerry Yates may find new clubs in the next week, having not been given shirt numbers by Jack Wilshere, and Devante Cole is yet to make an appearance this season, as well as not be in a League One matchday squad.

That leaves the veteran that is Nahki Wells, who isn't a spring chicken anymore at the age of 36, and summer signing Callum Marshall - the Northern Ireland international who has arrived from West Ham has the potential to lead the line at Kenilworth Road for years to come, but he's also equally adept at playing off the right flank whilst cutting in onto his left foot, although Jake Richards has that role locked down currently.

Could Wilshere do with adding a different type of number nine to his options in Bedfordshire? Wareham would certainly offer a more physical presence at the top end of the pitch compared to Luton's current options, and with the likes of Kasey Palmer, Emilio Lawrence and Isaiah Jones feeding him from various angles, there'd be a lot of chances to score more than the 19 he plundered in for Exeter last season.