Grimsby Town could unearth the next Macaulay Langstaff in the form of 14-goal ace: View | OneFootball

Grimsby Town will be in the market for new recruits aplenty this summer as boss David Artell looks to add quality, variety and depth to many areas of his Mariners squad. Not least in forward areas, where the Blundell Park outfit will be looking for a pacy, aggressive goalscorer to partner Danny Rose and help take some of the workload off the ever-reliable former Northampton Town and Stevenage man for the 2024/25 campaign.

Strikers are always in high demand, and while they will most likely face stiff competition, Grimsby could look to Altrincham's Regan Linney to provide the missing link, hoping he has a similar impact to other successful non-league forwards such as Notts County's Macaulay Langstaff. Linney has been consistently prolific throughout his time in the game, gradually progressing up the pyramid with the likes of Bamber Bridge and FC United of Manchester before heading to Moss Lane two years ago.

Having bounced back from some issues off the pitch in 2021, Linney has found the net with impressive regularity. The Preston-born man scored 42 goals in just 33 games for FC United of Manchester before joining National League side Altrincham during the 2022/23 campaign - subsequently netting 20 times in 50 appearances to date for Phil Parkinson's side.

Linney is a livewire. While mainly operating as a central striker, the 26-year-old's mobility allows him to move effectively anywhere across the forward line and fit into various systems and styles. He has a real sharpness and determination about him, and he's also an aggressive, physically and technically competent attacker, comfortable using either foot. Linney's contract with Altrincham is due to expire this summer, and while he won't be short of suitors and offers, the chance of regular first-team football in the EFL with Artell's side could prove an enticing opportunity for a player that is now ready for the step-up.

With the exception of the aforementioned Rose, the future of Grimsby's other forward options is certainly up for debate. While Rekeil Pyke and Donovan Wilson remain under contract at Blundell Park for another season, there are question marks over whether both will be at the club by the end of the summer transfer window.

Pyke hasn't featured in the Mariners matchday squad for some time now, and while Wilson has been involved and scored some important goals, the former Sutton man missed out on a January loan move to fellow League Two side Crawley Town due to paperwork being incomplete by the deadline.

Both could play a part next season, but there's also the chance that they could move on; Pyke to get regular first team football and Wilson to move back down south. Whatever happens with the pair, though, Artell will be looking to strengthen his attacking unit regardless.

Linney one of many talented players at Altrincham

Former Nantwich Town manager Phil Parkinson has worked wonders since taking over Northern Premier League bound Altrincham in 2017. Stabilising the Robins following relegation, Parkinson has overseen his side's continued improvement and notable progression back up to the fifth-tier.

Once there, Altrincham consolidated before setting their stall out to become a real force and push for a place in the Football League. The Moss Lane club finished fourth in this season's National League table, and while they were knocked out by Bromley at the play-off semi-final stage, Parkinson has put together a very entertaining, youthful side with the potential to push on again.

That said, there will undoubtedly be interest in the manager himself, and certainly many of his players from those higher up the pyramid. The likes of playmaker Chris Conn-Clarke, defender Jake Cooper, goalkeeper Ethan Ross and holding midfielder Elliot Osborne - alongside Linney - will have caught the eye with their consistent form, and with many being in their mid-20's, may be seen as ideal transfer targets for League One and League Two clubs this summer.

Linney could be another Langstaff

Notts County striker Macaulay Langstaff is a man in high demand these days, but his career on the whole shows the pathway to progress isn't always a straightforward one. The attacker had struggled for any kind of consistency prior to his 2020 release from York City, but upon his return to Gateshead - then in the sixth-tier - he found his scoring boots at an astounding level.

Langstaff was voted National League North Player of the Season for the 2021/22 season, before winning the same award the following season at the higher level of the National League. He was also selected for the League Two Team of the Season for the campaign that has recently finished.

Perhaps even more notably, Langstaff was the divisional top scorer in each of those three seasons, quickly adjusting and adapting to higher levels with unerring ease. Since his return to Gateshead four years ago, the clinical frontman has found the net on 101 occasions in his 114 combined appearances for the Heed and the Magpies,

Langstaff is likely to be at the centre of plenty of interest from League One and Championship clubs this summer. He appears to be going from strength to strength heading into the peak years of his professional career. While expecting others to follow exactly in his footsteps would be unfair and naive, there's every chance Regan Linney can make a similar impact in the EFL, given the opportunity.

He shares many of the same attributes as Langstaff; mobile, pacy, aggressive and strong - both physically and technically - and with a real eye for finding the net with all kinds of finishes. He's certainly an option Grimsby boss David Artell should give some consideration.