City Lose Star: Sorensen Departs for Terriers

Lasse Sorensen has left Lincoln City to join Huddersfield Town for an undisclosed fee.

Sorensen joined the Imps in July 2021, as the club aimed to replace the likes of Jorge Grant, Brennan Johnson and others from the unbelievable playoff squad of the 2020/21 season. Joining from Stoke City, Sorensen had experience higher up in the football pyramid, including the Premier League.

Sorensen had a difficult first twelve months at Sincil Bank, but did score his first goal for the Imps against Plymouth Argyle in a 2-2 draw. A change of management and position for Sorensen was what saw him become a fan favourite around the club. Mark Kennedy utilised the Dane as a right wing-back during the second-half of the 2022/23 campaign, and from that moment onwards, he has been one of the first name on the teamsheet.

The highlight of that season was a half-way line goal away at Wycombe Wanderers, which will live long in the memory of City fans. His 2023/24 campaign was even more impressive, spending the entire year at wing-back and getting better game by game. One of his standout performances came in the Tom Shaw interim spell against Charlton Athletic against former manager Michael Appleton. Sorensen played slightly higher up that day on the wing and was considered the best player on the pitch.

Sorensen got even better when Michael Skubala was appointed, ending the season with six goals and eight assists in all competitions as City pushed right to the end to get playoffs, falling on the final day with a defeat to Portsmouth ending the impossible dream. Sorensen became the fifth AllLincoln Player of the Season, and the third to be given the award pitchside. 

A one year extension was triggered in Sorensen’s deal, giving the club a chance to get a fee for the Dane. While it isn’t the news anyone wanted to hear, it makes sense and once again backs up the model that we talk about so frequently – Sorensen’s departure will see us make a healthy profit and that’s what we need to do to be successful. 

People will say why Huddersfield? They’re in the same division, but they’re a club with better facilities, better budget, a bigger fanbase and most importantly a massive chance of getting back up to the Championship in the next twelve months. It’s very similar to Regan Poole’s move to Pompey – a move to a club that is likely to get promoted within the first season. 

I wouldn’t listen to the talk that will come about the transfer fee, as unless it comes out of either club, it will be an educated guess rather than fact. There’s no doubt we would’ve got a good deal for Sorensen, and one that is worth more than what his impact would’ve been on the pitch over the next twelve months.

This does now mean we’ll be recruiting a right wing-back, potentially even two. Jay Benn will be looking to impress Skubala in pre-season and judging off his form at Solihull Moors on loan, he could be a really exciting prospect over the summer. It will be interesting to see what we’ve got planned at wing-back, and you imagine a move will already be in the pipe line to replace him.

Director of football Jez George said: “While we’re sad to see Lasse leave, he does so with our respect and affection for how he has represented our club with such distinction on and off the pitch.

“As we were unable to extend Lasse’s contract last season, despite all of our best efforts, we knew that if we didn’t sell him this summer he would leave on a free transfer at the end of the season.

“While we would obviously have preferred for Lasse to move to a club in the Championship, that option didn’t exist. Huddersfield were professional throughout our negotiations and met our valuation after we turned down two offers, so we concluded that it was in the best interest of Lincoln City to agree a deal.”