Lincoln City have shown one thing in particular with Ivan Varfolomeyev signing | OneFootball

Lincoln City have smashed their club-record for a transfer fee this summer, marking a signal of intent.

Lincoln City have smashed their club-record for a transfer fee this summer, marking a signal of intent.

The Imps recruited Ukrainian youth international Ivan Varfolomeyev, who was playing his football in Czechia, to bolster their midfield.

It comes both as a reinvestment of funds added to the club’s coffers by sales of top talents, and a show of an ambitious project.

Lincoln City have reinvested funds well

The Imps have sold top youth talent Jovon Makama this summer, fetching a record sale figure for the Sky Bet League One outfit as he swapped Lincolnshire for Carrow Road.

At Norwich City, Makama has the opportunity to take his career to the next level and play in the second tier. Meanwhile, the opportunity for Lincoln is to reinvest their gained funds well and boost their squad in the short and long term.

Varfolomeyev signing on the dotted line has done just that.

The 21-year-old comes into the squad in place of Ethan Erhahon, who himself saw a significant transfer fee injected into the Imps bank account when he moved to league rivals Bolton Wanderers.

Elsewhere this summer, a reasonable sum was brought in for defender Sean Roughan after his switch to Huddersfield Town and more recently for Ethan Hamilton’s move north of the border to Scotland's top flight side Dundee.

Lincoln have toyed with jaunts into the European market for a number of years, first dipping their toe into Scandinavia when they signed Swedish wide-man Erik Ring.

Employed mostly as a wing-back, Ring has not set the world alight. But, he has provided initial signs that a wider net being cast in recruitment can be a success.

In Varfolomeyev, there is a more testing example. This one would cause a significant problem should it not turn into a success story, given the club-record fee that Jez George and co. have forked out.

Ivan Varfolomeyev is a show of Imps intent

It’s a signing that makes clear that there is an ambitious attitude in the boardroom at Lincoln.

Spending a club-record fee is a major signal that any club means business, and it is no different in City’s case. They have spent the money, with the hope that Varfolomeyev turns into not only a top talent for the Imps, but another cash cow further down the line.

BBC Radio Lincolnshire have revealed that the fee is in the region of £350,000, surpassing the club's previous record fee paid for John Akinde in 2018.

It comes after Czechia media noted a fee close to £700,000 could be expected, including all potential add-ons to the initial deal.

Varfolomeyev has been described as a potential “pioneer” by the leading English-language source of reporting on Ukrainian football. That is if his switch to the EFL proves to be a successful one, opening up the avenue of moving to England as a potential option for other young footballers from the country.

In his first appearance, a Carabao Cup tie with Burton Albion, the midfielder notched 25 successful passes. That marks a solid start for the youngster, as he looks to provide an exciting and trustworthy option in the heart of the Lincoln midfield.

Time will be the judge of success in Varfolomeyev’s case. He will either be a signpost of superb recruitment by the Imps, or a case study of an adventurous move that did not go to plan. The intent, though, is clear with Lincoln spending like they never have before.