Five Players That Should Interest Lincoln City This Summer

May 3, 2024 Gary Lincoln City 0

Zak Brunt

Advanced Midfielder

Barnet

With both Ted Bishop and Danny Mandroiu out of contract and locked in talks, it’s possible the Imps will be looking to add in the advanced playmaking role.

Comfortable either as a pocket player in the number ten role or an advanced number eight, Barnet’s Zak Brunt could be an interesting proposition. Hailing from nearby Chesterfield, the 22-year-old grew up as a Sheffield United fan, joining their academy at an early age. However, his journey to making two first-team appearances with the Blades was far from straightforward.

Spells in the academies of both Aston Villa and Manchester City preceded trials at Villarreal and Atletico Madrid, as well as an offer of a trial at Real Madrid. Atleti offered a contract, but an administrative error caused this to fall through, and Brunt was subject to almost a year away from a professional football environment.

Following short spells at Derby and Matlock Town, Brunt returned to Sheffield United in 2018 and made two first-team appearances in the first and second round of the EFL Cup. Loans at Southend and Notts County in 20/21 were followed by an impressive season-long spell at Boreham Wood in 22/23 as they made the National League play-offs.

He joined Barnet in the summer of 2023 for an undisclosed fee with his contract situation unclear. Some reports suggest his deal expires in 2025 but there could well be an option to extend for another year or two, meaning there would be a fee involved should The Imps decide to make a move.

The Barnet playmaker’s technical ability has impressed this season with him netting six times in addition to his nine assists from just 6.33 expected assists. He also ranks joint sixth for key passes, third for passes into the final third, second for smart passes and second for deep completions, highlighting his creativity. He also shows above-average ability to win the ball back, clocking 5.24 recoveries per 90 minutes.

Despite his six goals, Brunt is much more of a creator than a box-crasher, averaging only 1.92 touches in the box per 90 so would likely suit the advanced number 8 role in our current 3-5-2 system but has shown the versatility to play in multiple roles this season.

Brunt would likely be a “project player” but given his impressive array of clubs at youth level and an impressive season for the National League runners-up, his technical ability is likely capable of the step up to League One. Being labelled as a “project player” didn’t work out too badly for Ben House so, should the fee be reasonable, Brunt could be an interesting pick up.