Lincoln City: Michael Skubala should consider Leeds United player move this January | OneFootball

Lincoln should consider a loan move for James Debayo in January.

Lincoln City are once again punching above their weight, with the Imps currently sitting in sixth place in League One.

Having been one of the form teams in the second half of last season, Michael Skubala has managed to transfer that into the 2024-25 campaign. So far, they have lost just three games and have picked up impressive victories over the likes of Mansfield Town and Stockport County.

However, if they are to continue this level of form, they may need to strengthen in January as other sides will be targeting some of their better players.

One pressing area of concern is centre-back, where injuries have started to mount, leaving the squad stretched defensively. This could prompt Skubala to act in January, and reuniting with one of his former Leeds United players could prove to be a smart move to bolster the backline.

Lincoln City's injury-ridden defenders

Although Lincoln's defensive record so far this campaign has been decent, conceding just 17 goals to this point, the continued injuries will be a worry.

Long-term absentee Adam Jackson remains sidelined, while Tom Hamer is recovering from knee surgery following an injury against Northampton Town. Adding to these woes, Paudie O'Connor was forced off at half-time against Exeter City, with the severity of his injury still unclear.

These setbacks could leave Lincoln vulnerable and, with Lewis Montsma still overcoming his successive ACL injuries, you feel it is best they find some support in defence come January.

This is especially prominent given that Skubala likes to play a three-at-the-back formation, which many would argue requires more cover.

While the Lincoln head coach will be sure to trust the versatile Tendayi Darikwa, he will know a natural centre-back is of more use, so the Zimbabwean can play in his natural position.

Lincoln should target James Debayo

To rectify this issue, Lincoln should be targeting Leeds United's James Debayo. The 19-year-old is highly rated at Elland Road and has been regularly training with the first team in a bid to speed up his development.

A naturally right-footed defender, he would slot perfectly into the right side of a Skubala back three and could learn a lot from being thrust into men's football.

This deal makes even more sense given that the Imps head coach used to manage Debayo when he was in charge of the Leeds Under 21s. Speaking about him after an impressive performance against Chelsea's highly-rated academy in November 2023, Skubala remarked: "I thought Jez (Mullen) and James Debayo were brilliant on the back line."

This sort of relationship means that Debayo can enter seamlessly into Skubala's side with full knowledge of what is expected of him.

Additionally, the Whites' hierarchy will likely be eager for the young defender to gain first-team experience. If those opportunities aren’t forthcoming at Elland Road, a loan move to a competitive League One side like Lincoln could be the ideal solution for all parties involved.