Sources: Derby County, Portsmouth and Bolton Wanderers make moves to sign ex-Birmingham striker Ronan Hale
Derby County, Portsmouth, Bolton Wanderers, Blackpool, Peterborough and Wrexham are plotting moves for Cliftonville hot-shot Ronan Hale, sources have told Football Insider.
The former Birmingham City youngster has been earning rave reviews for the Northern Ireland Premiership side over the last 18 months.
It is believed that scouts from English clubs have been making regular checks on Hale in recent months amid his exceptional goalscoring form.
Derby, Portsmouth, Bolton, Blackpool, Peterborough and Wrexham have all registered their interest in Hale as they look to bolster their attacking options in the January transfer window.
The Belfast-born ace won the Golden Boot in Northern Ireland last season with 30 goals across all competitions.
He picked up a ligament injury during pre-season which forced him to miss the opening 11 games of the campaign, but the 22-year-old has gone on to score 11 goals in just nine starts.
He enhanced his goalscoring reputation after he notched a hat-trick in Cliftonville’s 3-0 win against Coleraine last Friday (5 January) in the Irish Cup.
Hale’s exceptional form for Birmingham’s under-21s, where he scored 28 goals in 23 appearances, earned him a promotion to the under-23s.
However, his Blues contract was terminated by mutual consent in January 2019 before his return to Belfast-based side Crusaders – his first club.
Now, he is on the radar for a move back to English football after scoring 41 goals in the last two seasons.
His versatility has allowed him to play as a centre-forward and an attacking midfielder this season, while previous campaigns have seen him fielded as a winger.
In other news, Sources: Premier League club ready to sign Liverpool legend Jordan Henderson this month.