Exclusive: Derby County, Bolton & Barnsley in race to sign 20-goal Tom Cursons
01/04/2025 09:31 AM
Derby County, Bolton Wanderers, Barnsley and Peterborough are plotting moves for non-league goal scoring sensation Tom Cursons, sources have told Football Insider.
Ilkeston Town striker Cursons has emerged on the radar of a number of EFL clubs following his impressive goalscoring form for the Northern Premier League (NPL) side.
Ilkeston are braced for offers for their prize asset with the player out of contract this summer.
The 23-year-old has scored 20 goals in all competitions so far this season. The Robins are pushing for a NPL Premier promotion push as they sit fourth in the table.
Derby County among EFL options for Tom Cursons
Derby could do with a striker as they have scored just 31 goals in 25 matches. The Rams are just five points clear from a potential relegation and are in 17th spot.
Cursons has previously mentioned his desire to make the move to play full-time football before so a Championship move at 23 would be attractive to him.
He told the NPL: “Ilkeston are aware that I want to play full-time football. I'm still in that age bracket where it can still happen, but I need to make sure it's the right move at this stage of my career” [via thenpl.co.uk].
However, Bolton, Barnsley and Peterborough could be encouraged as he mentioned in the same interview he “doesn’t want to sit on the bench” as it will “stunt” his progress.
Jerry Yates is the preferred striker for Derby with 22 appearances but only scoring six goals in that time.
Coach Paul Warne has deployed two strikers in the same line-up before so a chance at rotation will be likely if Cursons joins.
Ilkeston Town face a busy January period where they face Leek Town today (4 January) and three days later play Stockton.
Both matches are at home where they will look to maintain their unbeaten home record in the league.
In other news, a Sky Sports pundit made an outrageous claim after Joe Rodon's goal for Leeds United against Derby.
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The post Exclusive: Derby County, Bolton & Barnsley in race to sign 20-goal Tom Cursons appeared first on Football Insider.
