Macaulay Langstaff transfer latest: Birmingham, Sunderland and Coventry in pursuit of £1.5m Notts County man | OneFootball

Highlights

With the January transfer window open for business, one player attracting significant transfer interest is Notts County striker Macaulay Langstaff.

Langstaff joined Notts from Gateshead in summer 2022, and he enjoyed an outstanding debut season at Meadow Lane, scoring 42 goals in 47 games to help the club to promotion from the National League.

The 26-year-old has seamlessly made the step-up to League Two, scoring 20 goals and providing three assists in 29 appearances in all competitions so far this campaign.

Langstaff has been in excellent form in recent weeks, scoring six goals in his last four games, and he became the first player in the EFL to reach the 20-goal mark this season when he netted in the Magpies' 5-5 draw at Grimsby Town on Saturday.

Notts are currently without a manager after the departure of Luke Williams to Swansea City earlier this month, with midfielder Jim O'Brien in caretaker charge, and while they have lost seven of their last 12 league games, they remain sixth in the table.

The Magpies will be desperate to keep hold of Langstaff as they look to secure back-to-back promotions, but as his list of suitors increases, they could be facing a battle to hold on to him this month.

With two weeks remaining in the transfer window, we rounded up all the latest news on Langstaff's future.

Birmingham, Sunderland and Derby join race

It seems that Langstaff's form this season has not gone unnoticed, and he is reportedly on the radar of a number of clubs.

According to HITC, Birmingham City, Sunderland, Peterborough United, Derby County, Wrexham and Hearts are all keeping tabs on Langstaff.

Birmingham could be vulnerable to losing on-loan Fulham striker Jay Stansfield this month amid interest from Ipswich Town and Sunderland, while Scott Hogan has been linked with Sheffield Wednesday.

Sunderland head coach Michael Beale has confirmed the club are looking to bring in a new striker, and having been born in Stockton-on-Tees, a move to the Stadium of Light would see Langstaff return to his native North East.

Peterborough and Derby currently sit second and third respectively in League One, and they could swoop for Langstaff to bolster their attacking options.

It seems unlikely that Notts would sell to a promotion rival in Wrexham, but the Red Dragons are known to have vast financial resources under the ownership of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, while Hearts could make a move for Langstaff if Lawrence Shankland was to depart this month.

Coventry City plotting move

Birmingham and Sunderland are not the only Championship clubs monitoring Langstaff, with Coventry Live claiming that he is also on the radar of Coventry City.

It has been an excellent few weeks for the Sky Blues, and they moved into the play-off places after a 3-1 home win over leaders Leicester City on Saturday.

Coventry already have Ellis Simms, Haji Wright and Matty Godden on their books, and while there had been speculation that Godden could depart after his muted celebration in the FA Cup win over Oxford United earlier this month, he hinted that he is set to remain at the club for the rest of the season.

Langstaff's arrival could allow manager Mark Robins to send youngster Fabio Tavares out on loan, and the Sky Blues have money to spend after the big money departures of Viktor Gyokeres and Gustavo Hamer in the summer.

Notts County valuation revealed

One potential stumbling block for clubs interested in Langstaff this month could be his asking price, with HITC reporting that Notts have placed a £1.5 million valuation on the striker.

Langstaff signed a new contract with the Magpies in August to keep him at Meadow Lane until the summer of 2027, so the club are able to demand a significant fee for his services.

Clubs are known to be more reluctant to spend big in the January transfer window, and his price tag could potentially rule out the likes of Peterborough, Derby or Wrexham, but he represents an affordable option for Championship sides in search of a prolific goalscorer.