Motherwell battle Leyton Orient and Burton for bargain Kieran Ngwenya deal
Scottish Premiership side Motherwell are fighting Leyton Orient and Burton Albion to sign Dunfermline defender Kieran Ngwenya on a free transfer, sources have told Football Insider.
The 23-year-old is out of contract with the Scottish Championship side at the end of the season, and has been subject to regular checks from clubs in both the Premiership and England’s League One this term.
Neil Lennon’s Dunfermline are fearful that they are about to lose the big centre-back this summer, and are aware that they are in no position to command a transfer fee as part of any negotiations.
The former Aberdeen academy graduate has started 13 games in the Scottish Championship this term, and has helped Lennon’s men into a play-off place ahead of the final four games of the league season.
That has been enough to see him attract interest from Motherwell, who are currently fourth in the top-flight.
Motherwell battling against English opportunity
Ngwenya has been standout performer for Dunfermline since he joined them from Partick Thistle back in 2024, but they are facing a difficult situation with significant interest now building ahead of the window.
The defender’s height makes him a huge threat from set pieces, and he has already notched four goals from his 13 appearances so far this season.
| League | Teams | Apps | Goals |
| Scottish Championship | Dunfermline (2024-), Partick Thistle (2023-24), Raith Rovers (2022-23) | 80 | 4 |
| Scottish League Two | Kelty Hearts (2021-22) | 25 | – |
| Scottish League One | Cove Rangers (2020-21) | 5 | – |
| Scottish Premiership | Aberdeen (2020-21) | 2 | – |
Jens Berthel Askou is keen to add him to his Motherwell squad for next season, with the Well currently on course to record their highest league finish since the 2019-20 campaign.
However, they are facing a battle against the opportunity for a career in English football if they are to land Ngwenya this summer.
Several players from the upper tiers of the Scottish pyramid opt to move down south and take up a chance in the EFL, and the same situation could soon play out for Ngwenya.
Neither Leyton Orient nor Burton have already secured their spot in the third tier again for next season, with relegation still a possibility for both clubs.
Motherwell to face EFL concern in multiple avenues this summer
Motherwell could potentially find themselves losing out to an EFL club in the race to sign Ngwenya, and that could become a very familiar concern for them this summer.
They appear set to face a battle to keep hold of some of their own key players in the upcoming window, with winger Football Insider recently revealing that winger Elijah Just is now on the radar of English clubs as well as the Old Firm duo.
The New Zealand international only joined last summer, but seven goals and seven assists from 30 league games have seen him enhance his reputation dramatically this season.
That return has seen him emerge on the radar of clubs in the English pyramid, with the issue of EFL interest potentially about to plague Motherwell from several different angles this summer.
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