"He’s done phenomenally well" - Lincoln City backed to strike transfer for 23-year-old | OneFootball

Lincoln City's fan pundit says that Charlie McCann would be his ideal signing this summer, to potentially replace Ethan Erhahon.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Lincoln City had a solid season in League One this season, finishing in a respectable 11th place. As a result, players such as Ethan Erhahon are linked with moves elsewhere this summer, meaning that it could be a busy transfer window for the Imps.

Erhahon has reportedly already had a £600,000 bid made for him by Swansea City, which was rejected by the club. Numerous other Championship clubs appear to be interested, such as Preston North End and Derby County, so it is looking likely that Lincoln may have a big gap to fill in the middle of the park.

Forest Green midfielder McCann would be a good addition to Lincoln City

Imps fan pundit Gary Hutchinson believes that Forest Green Rovers midfielder Charlie McCann could be the right option to replace the potentially outgoing Erhahon.

"I think one realistic signing I would like the club to make. It depends on who goes, but it looks like Ethan Erhahon might leave the club, and I’d be quite keen on Charlie McCann from Forest Green," he said. "Now, it’s not entirely like-for-like, granted, but I really like the look of McCann."

Lincoln manager Michael Skubala has built a reputation for developing young players and if McCann were to head to Lincolnshire, he could expect his development to be put at the forefront of his manager's plans.

Having only recently turned 23 years old, the midfielder already has a good amount of experience relative to his age, but still has the potential to develop even further.

McCann's pedigree puts him in good stead

A product of the Manchester United academy, who he played for before joining Rangers in 2021, McCann is a technically gifted midfielder who is slightly different to Erhahon in terms of being better with the ball, but weaker defensively. Since joining Forest Green in 2023, he has experienced back-to-back relegations from League One to the National League, where Rovers finished third this season.

Also, a former international for the Northern Ireland under-21 team after switching from the Republic of Ireland's youth set-up, he has played at a very good level in age-grouped football.

Gary explained why McCann was his ideal signing. "He’s a player that Forest Green signed after losing out on Erhahon. He’s got some top-flight pedigree in Scotland," he said. "He’s done phenomenally well for Forest Green in the National League, and he feels like the kind of midfielder who is capable of making the step-up."

Despite being part of two relegations, Gary believed that the attitude and application that he has shown in adversity would make him a valuable asset, should Lincoln sign him. "He was signed by them when they were a League One club, so he’s suffered two relegations with them and shown application and the right attitude to keep performing at a good level," Gary said. "So I’d really like us to sign Charlie McCann."

Given the money that Erhahon would make the club if he leaves Lincoln, McCann could prove to be a worthy investment of some of those funds, likely not costing as much as Erhahon is expected to be sold for.