Oxford United and Lincoln City set for £100k summer transfer battle over January Barnsley target | OneFootball

League One duo Oxford United and Lincoln City are reportedly interested in signing Dunfermline Athletic defender Josh Edwards in the summer transfer window.

That's according to a report from Football Insider, who say that the 23-year-old has already attracted attention from England in the past.

Edwards joined Dunfermline back in the summer of 2019, signing from fellow Scottish Championship side Airdrieonians.

Since making that move, the defender has made 178 appearances in all competitions for Dunfermline, scoring nine goals and providing 24 assists in that time.

Now though, it seems as though he could have the chance to move south of the border in the summer, as interest emerges from elsewhere.

this latest update, both Oxford and Lincoln are keen to sign Edwards at the end of this season.

It is thought that both clubs have had their attention caught by the 23-year-old's performances in the Scottish Championship this season, and could now be set to make a move.

That comes after another League One side, Barnsley, apparently had a bid rejected for Edwards in the January transfer window.

As things stand, the defender's contract with Dunfermline is set to expire at the end of this season. However, his current club do have an option to extend that deal by a further 12 months.

Because of that, clubs interested in Edwards are said to believe that he may cost a fee of around £100,000 in the summer.

Although naturally a left-back, the 23-year-old has also played on the left of midfield and at centre-back over the course of the current campaign.

Oxford and Lincoln still chasing promotion

Both Oxford and Lincoln will be harbouring hopes of playing in the Championship next season.

As things stand, Oxford are currently sixth in the League One table, with Lincoln just one place and two points behind, with four games of the regular season remaining.

That of course, means both are still in contention to seal promotion to the Championship via the play-offs.

Oxford are next in action when they host Peterborough United at The Kassam Stadium on Saturday afternoon, while Lincoln host Wigan Athletic at Sincil Bank.

A potentially good signing for Oxford or Lincoln

There may be an argument that the signing of Edwards could be a good one for either of these two sides.

Joe Bennett is out of contract at Oxford in the summer, while Lincoln are already short on options at left-back as things stand.

The signing of Edwards could therefore provide one of these clubs with some welcome depth on the left-hand side of their defence.

Meanwhile, his versatility and ability to play in other roles, could potentially bring an extra dimension for these two sides as well.

Given his contract situation, it does seem as though Edwards may be an affordable target for one of these two clubs, particularly if they do win promotion to the Championship.

With all that in mind, it does seem as though these two sides could be sensible by preparing to make a summer swoop for the Dunfermline man, especially as they will not want to be beaten by the other in the race to secure his services.