Exclusive: Lincoln City transfer bid rejected for 12-goal Accrington Stanley player | OneFootball

League One outfit Lincoln City have had a transfer offer rejected for Accrington Stanley attacking midfielder Tommy Leigh, sources have exclusively informed Football League World.

The Imps have been active in the transfer window this summer and have added five new permanent players to their ranks, with the likes of Tyler Walker and Lukas Jensen arriving on free transfers.

There is clearly money to spend though at Sincil Bank as the deal to bring Portsmouth attacker Reeco Hackett-Fairchild to the club showed, and now head coach Mark Kennedy has set his sights on Leigh.

However, they will have to do more to prize 23-year-old Leigh away from the Wham Stadium despite Accrington's relegation into League Two as their hierarchy have turned down Lincoln's initial offer.

Who is Tommy Leigh?

After being a part of Portsmouth's academy system before being released at the age of 16, Leigh had to drop into non-league with Baffins Milton Rovers in 2017.

Leigh scored 11 times before moving on to another non-league south coast club in the form of Bognor Regis Town in 2019, and it was his performances there which saw Accrington pursue his services.

Accy paid an undisclosed fee in the summer of 2021 to bring Leigh to Lancashire and in his first season in professional football in 2021-22, Leigh scored eight goals in 28 matches in all competitions from midfield, as well as adding three assists to his tally.

Leigh was even more successful in-front of goal last year, netting 12 times for Stanley in 50 appearances and also notching four assists as well.

He adapted more to a centre-forward role though throughout the campaign, as well as playing an equal amount of time in the attacking midfield area of the pitch.

Leigh was particularly successful in the EFL Trophy last season, scoring four times in five outings, but his seven league goals weren't enough to help Accrington retain their status in the third tier of English football.

What is Tommy Leigh's contract situation at Accrington?

After his breakout year in 2021-22, Leigh penned an extension to his initial deal at the Wham Stadium.

That would mean he is contracted until June 2024, meaning he has less than 12 months to go.

It could perhaps force Accrington into a decision this summer, with a real dilemma as to whether or not they should cash in on their prized asset whilst they still can or risk losing him for nothing next year.

Who else is interested in Tommy Leigh?

There has been a long-standing interest from Leigh's former club Portsmouth this summer, with Pompey wanting to bring him back to Fratton Park.

However, per the Portsmouth News in June, they are unwilling to meet Accrington's £200,000 valuation for his services, with their head coach John Mousinho saying of such a potential move: “Tommy is still an option, but it just depends on finances.

“Probably, at this stage, he is out of the budget in terms of what Accrington will possibly be asking for.

“We are priced out, which is fine, they obviously value him as an asset.

“Tommy would fit that eight or 10 role quite nicely for us, hence we were interested in signing him in the first place.”