As the season draws to a close, people start to concentrate on the new campaign and what our squad may look like when we reach the first weekend of August. I did an article last month, discussing the contract situations of the Imps loanees, who are at the club, so I thought I’d look at the players we have loaned out this season, their contract situations and how they will be able to impact the squad next season.
Hakeeb Adelakun
I didn’t want anyone to succeed at Lincoln City more than Hakeeb Adelakun. When we signed him in the summer of 2021, he really excited me. A player coming from the league above with pedigree of playing well and performing in League One. He looked like exactly what we needed, a direct runner who looked to get the ball up the pitch and affect play. Unfortunately, there must have only have been a few times we got to see the quality he had.
Haks began the season with us and started the first two league games, at the time I felt he was doing well but looking back now compared to our current crop of wide players, he was average. Even with that considered, I expected his loan move to go well at Gillingham, they were struggling and I thought he would go and have a similar effect on the Gills as Theo Archibald did at Leyton Orient on loan last season. Haks didn’t manage to have any sort of impact at Gills, and now doesn’t make the matchday squad anymore.
I wanted him to succeed here but with Mandroiu, Duffy and Vernam all under contract next season along with other players to come in and the fact he couldn’t impact a relegation threatened League Two side, I don’t see a future for him at the Imps. The unfortunate thing is, I can’t see a future for him at Football League level, unless he lowers his wage demands or someone takes a punt, I can’t see who would want to have Haks on their books next year. A drop down to the National League may be what his career needs, but you fear his next move has to be the right one. He was described as signing a long-term contract, so he may be under contract next season but like I said I would be extremely surprised if he is a Lincoln City player at the start of next season.
Charley Kendall
After the highs of a play-off campaign and 20+ goal season, Charley Kendall has endured a difficult 22/23 campaign with two loan spells away from the club. He started the season with the Imps, and scored his first goal for the club in a convincing cup-win away at Doncaster Rovers in August. He continued with good form, making his League One debut a few months later against Oxford United, but with Tom Hopper and Ben House contracted to the club at the time, game time was limited for Kendall and he departed on loan.
He joined Sutton United on loan in August but his time at Gander Green Lane was not a success at all, the 22-year-old was used mainly as a substitute, and appeared ten times for the club, without a goal. City exercised their right to recall him in January, but he wasn’t able to join another football league club on loan due to the rules, so he dropped to the National League to join Playoff pushing Bromley.
He hasn’t had great luck with Bromley either, scoring just the one goal in nine games for them. He started well and scored within the first few games in his time at the club. He got sent off for Bromley a few games ago, and since he has struggled with injury and getting in the team. The striker is in contract for next season, and although I really like him, I see us signing another striker alongside Ben House so hopefully we can find Kendall a successful loan move that will help him progress rather than regress.
Elicha Ahui and Freddie Draper
Last season I hadn’t heard of Drogheda United and now I find myself keeping an eye on them every week because they seem to have a Lincoln City loanee every game. It’s no secret that we have a good relationship with the club and so far, we have sent four players over to Ireland and they have done well. Sean Roughan has come back as a different player and is now one of our most important players off the back of a Drogs loan spell, and although Sam Long has endured a difficult year, he came back a better player too.
I didn’t know too much about Elicha Ahui before the start of this season, and although I knew he had admirers in the academy, I didn’t expect him to be in anyone’s thinking in the next few years. He made his debut against Newcastle’s U21’s in the cup and impressed, and he earnt himself a loan move to Drogheda in January. He has really impressed over in Ireland and has earnt loads of rave reviews from Drogs fans. I could see him being a bit like Roughan has been this season. He’ll spend pre-season with us and start in a squad role, but if he takes his chances, this time next season he could be a key player for us. Out of all the players in this article, he excites me the most and I think he could be a real player in the future.
Freddie Draper badly needed this loan move to work out, and it certainly has. He has struggled a little bit with goal output, but according to Drogs fans he has impressed out there and has taken all his chances well. We all know he works hard and that has converted to his time at Drogs too. He may find it a bit more difficult to find a place in our squad next season with House at the club and another striker to be brought in but another successful loan spell could push him into Mark’s thinking.
Jay Benn
Many would have forgotten that Jay Benn is a Lincoln City player and it isn’t through any fault of their own. He struggled with injury when he arrived and he had to wait for his debut until Barnsley away in the cup. He missed a number of cup fixtures, which could’ve helped him stake a claim, but we managed to find a loan move in January to help get his Imps career back on track. He has been in and out of the team at Bohemians and it remains seen to if he will be part of our plans next season or if he will head out on another loan.
Jay is under contract next season with the club, but with Lasse’s emergence as a right wing-back and Elicha Ahui having a more impressive time out on loan in Ireland, I think Jay might find it difficult to break into our matchday squad regularly next season.
I hope this gave you a small idea of what our loanees have been up to in their time away from the football club, I wanted to keep it short while giving you as much information as possible so I hope this helped. The most exciting thing about players returning is what to expect, and I think with players like Kendall, Ahui, Draper and Benn all coming back, albeit having varied levels of success, it gives us something else to think about this summer.
You can find the article looking at the current loanees at the club below, if you fancy something else to read.
Current Contract Situation of Imps Loanees – AllLincoln