Why Lincoln City face wasting golden League One opportunity - Jez George needs to act ASAP | OneFootball

Lincoln City have started the season well, but run the risk of ending the transfer window in disappointment.

Lincoln City have started the season with a string of positive results, but run the risk of ending the transfer window without one much-needed ingredient.

Head coach Michael Skubala and director of football Jez George need to ensure the Imps have the necessary depth in their squad, with the current Lincoln team lacking quality beyond the initial first team and a smattering of currently available substitutes.

The biggest problem remains at left-back, with departed Sean Roughan still yet to be replaced in any meaningful like-for-like sense.

New recruits are a start, but not enough for Lincoln City

Despite adding three new recruits, with another seemingly on its way, there is plenty of work left to do at the Imps.

A left-back remains the most pertinent port of call, with Ryler Towler filling in as a makeshift option in the early portion of the campaign.

Add to that the fact that Rob Street, who returned from a successful League Two loan with champions Doncaster Rovers this summer, is the club’s principal threat down the opposite side to Reeco Hackett’s left flank, and depth is the clear order of the day.

Street is best suited in the middle, but can do a steady job out wide. He needs support, though, with any chance of a Lincoln side gate crashing the play-off party this time around hanging on the additions of extra squad players to bolster the slim ranks.

Sonny Bradley, released by Derby County of the Championship, and Towler, who exited Portsmouth, were through the door early in the window, while the addition of young Everton attacker Frankie Okoronkwo came much more recently.

The latter helps plug the gap left by Jovon Makama, who switched out the Imps for Norwich City of the division above in a move that brought a club-record fee for Lincoln.

Next through the door appears to be Ukrainian midfielder Ivan Varfolomeyev, who has represented his country at under-21s level. The deal is "close" according to a report from the Czechia, where the 21-year-old currently plays.

His signing would be a statement of intent, going a long way in filling in for Ethan Erhahon after his exit for Bolton Wanderers and coming for what is believed to be another record fee. This would be for an Imps signing, with the rumoured fee set to be around £700,000 including potential add-ons.

If that is the case, as the Czech media indicate, then the current record of the £325,000 deal for John Akinde would be blown out of the water.

Jez George has hit work cut out before September 1st

With three names through the door, two adding experience in defence and the other an injection of youth and energy in the forward line, Lincoln have done some good business.

But, that is far from enough.

They have a limited squad, and with an ongoing series of injuries at the LNER Stadium showing no sign of disappearing during the 2025/26 term, then new signings must be sought.

That has been highlighted by recent substitute benches named by the club, with the likes of academy prospect Gbolahan Okewoye, who spent a portion of last term on loan at step five of the football pyramid, among the list.

Youngster Charlie Carlisle was recalled from his loan stint with Lincoln United in non-league to fill the bench for victory over Plymouth Argyle, again providing evidence of how thin on the ground the Imps are for experienced first team players.

Lincoln would be wasting a golden opportunity to use the substantial funds they have received for high-profile sales this summer should they not explore the market and bring in some quality additions to Skubala's squad.

With George the public front of City's recruitment business, he will surely be burning the proverbial midnight oil between now and the end of the summer transfer window on September 1 to ensure a positive start to the campaign is not wasted.