Former Crystal Palace Striker Wanted By League One Promotion Hopefuls

The Imps missed out on the play-offs in agonising fashion last season, finishing seventh in the third tier. Their form since the turn of the year took them from mid-table obscurity to genuine play-off contenders. They eventually entered the final day within the top six, but a defeat against champions Portsmouth saw them replaced by Oxford United, who went on to secure a place in the Championship.

A large part of Lincoln’s early season struggles was their lack of firepower. They suffered serious injuries to key attackers Tyler Walker and Ben House, meaning goals were at a premium. However, they opted to recall youngster Freddie Draper from his season-long loan spell at Walsall in January to aid the front line.

It was the temporary acquisition of Luton Town forward Joe Taylor which proved to be a pivotal moment though. Having hit 12 goals for Colchester United during the first half of the season, the Hatters opted to send him to League One to further test his abilities. His time at the LNER Stadium was just as fruitful, scoring 10 times in 19 appearances.

The 21-year-old has now returned to Luton and is expected to be given the opportunity to try his luck in the Championship. Lincoln still have an array of attacking options in Walker, Draper and House, as well as Reeco Hackett and Jovon Makama. That hasn’t stopped them launching a bid for Street though, with reports claiming the East Midlands outfit have made a significant offer.

The 22-year-old rose through the ranks at Crystal Palace, although failed to break into the first team setup. Instead, the Eagles opted to send the attacker on a number of loan spells, including Torquay United, Newport County and Shrewsbury Town, before he was allowed to join Cheltenham Town in 2023 on a three-year deal.

Street made 26 appearances in his first season at the Completely-Suzuki Stadium, scoring three times. His campaign ended prematurely in January though when he suffered a knee injury in a 2-1 defeat against Derby County.

It is unclear what the size of Lincoln’s offer is, although they have already received a fee of up to £500,000 for Lasse Sorensen this summer. The Dane departed Sincil Bank for Huddersfield Town earlier this month.

Writer’s View

Lincoln manager Michael Skubala clearly feels he needs more attacking options for the upcoming season. Although Street doesn’t appear to be a player that can replace Joe Taylor’s goals, there is perhaps a belief that that shortfall can be picked up by Draper and Walker, the latter of which spent several months on the sidelines.

Street may be a player that fits a similar mould of House (insert Madness pun here), emphasising how the boss likes a player who is hard-working. Cheltenham fans will be hoping that the bid comes to nothing, but it looks as if their attacker could be making an immediate return to League One.