Derby County, Portsmouth and Barnsley in transfer hunt for 12-goal EFL player | OneFootball

Hartlepool United winger Luke Molyneux is attracting interest from multiple League One clubs ahead of the summer transfer window, according to Football Insider.

The 24-year-old has had a stand-out season for the Monkey Hangers in League Two, scoring eight times in the fourth tier and also netting four times in cup competitions to take his tally to 12 goals in 55 appearances in all competitions.

A former Sunderland academy graduate, Molyneux won the Players and Fans’ Player of the Season award at Victoria Park and he is attracting significant attention with his contract due to expire in June.

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Three big hitters for League One next season are taking a keen interest, including Portsmouth, who are looking to freshen up their squad ahead of a promotion challenge.

Recently relegated Barnsley are also believed to be keen, as well as Derby County, who are yet to have a takeover from Chris Kirchner finalised so cannot approach the winger just yet, although they retain an interest for when they are able to operate normally.

Scottish Premiership side Hearts also have Molyneux on their radar ahead of a potential summer transfer swoop as Hartlepool look resigned to losing their talisman.

The Verdict

Molyneux has certainly made an impact in League Two this past season, and at the age of 24 he is worth a punt for a third tier side on a free transfer.

He is very versatile and able to operate on both flanks and through the middle, so he could be a good squad option for a top League One side, or even Hearts with Scottish sides known to shop around in the lower reaches of the EFL.

It’s clear that Molyneux is probably a level above Hartlepool now and the club themselves will probably realise there is little they can do to keep him around.

Derby could be a good destination for the 24-year-old when their off-field issues are sorted – with a number of players out of contract this summer they lack wide players and Molyneux could certainly help on that front.