"My gut feeling is" - Lincoln City: Ethan Erhahon exit prediction issued | OneFootball

FLW's Lincoln City fan pundit has had his say on the future of Ethan Erhahon heading into the summer.

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 boss Michael Skubala will be wary of losing Ethan Erhahon this summer, with the midfielder gaining admirers from the Championship over the last few seasons.

West Brom are one of the sides reportedly keeping tabs on the midfielder, who is attracting interest from a number of Championship clubs as he has evidently proven himself to be far too good for League One football while at Lincoln.

An update from TBR Football prior to the January window stated that West Brom are one of four second tier sides that were weighing up a move for Erhahon ahead of the transfer window, along with Burnley, Norwich City, and Hull City.

Nothing materialised then, meaning Lincoln have him until at least the summer, but his long-term future is far from certain with the club, given that Lincoln are in mid-table and have a battle on their hands between now and the end of the campaign to punch their way into the play-offs.

The Lincoln City verdict on Ethan Erhahon

FLW's Lincoln City fan pundit Gary Hutchinson was asked for his thoughts on Erhahon's future with the club, and whether he expects the 23-year-old to remain at Sincil Bank this summer.

He said: "My gut feeling is that Ethan Erhahon will probably leave this summer.

"I think he's had a decent season. I know that there were bids for him in the winter window, so he's a player that clubs are clearly looking at.

"But those bids were managed in what seems like a sensible way. It wasn't all over the news and his agent seems very good in that they haven't tried to force him a move.

"He's been able to focus on his football at Lincoln. But the one thing that may work against him is his temperament. It's that red card against Bolton which some clubs may look at and realise that he needs a little bit of work.

"But, to be fair, when he is playing, he is one of our most consistent players. He is injured at the moment. Obviously, the nature of that injury is that it is going to keep him out for five or six weeks.

"That, again, could impact somebody buying him in the summer. The thing is that if somebody is going to come and try to buy him on the cheap — IE he was sent off against Bolton for dissent or he's been injured, meaning they look at him for a cut-price deal — then they are not going to get it.

"Because we are protected as he has two years left on his contract. So there is a valuation that I believe the club have that somebody would have to meet in order to trigger a move.

"If somebody meets that valuation, then my gut feeling is that he goes. My feeling is, with everything that's been said, that he goes and someone will meet that valuation this summer."

Jez George, Lincoln director of football, made the claim at the end of the 2023/24 season. He was speaking to BBC Radio Lincolnshire and said he would be “amazed” if Erhahon did not fetch a club-record fee for City.

Of course, he must be guaranteed regular game time if he does make the step up to the Championship in January, and that will likely be a big factor in his mind on who to join. He is capable of performing in the second tier, and needs the opportunity to join a club next season.

Erhahon joined the Imps in January 2023 from Scottish side St Mirren, and he enjoyed an outstanding campaign last season as Michael Skubala's men narrowly missed out on the play-offs in League One.

The 23-year-old was recognised for his impressive performances as he won both the Players' Player and Fans' Player of the Season awards last term, and Skubala described him as "the best number six in the league by a mile".

That won't go unnoticed, which is why this is likely to be his last season at Lincoln without them securing promotion and clawing their way back into the play-off frame in the very near future.