This article is part of Football League World’s ‘The Verdict’ series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Stoke City are one of a number of Championship clubs reportedly keen on Livingston forward Lyndon Dykes. 

The 24-year-old found the net 12 times and provided 10 assists last term, performances which appear to have caught the attention of a number of English sides.

According to the Scottish Sun, Barnsley, Middlesbrough, QPR, and Stoke are all keen on Dykes.

It is understood that the Tykes have had a £1.2 million offer rejected by Livingston, who want £2 million for the forward.

But would Dykes be a good signing for the Potters? And is he worth the asking price?

We quizzed our FLW writers on just that...

George Harbey

This would be a bargain for Stoke.

Michael O'Neill does have a plethora of options to choose from going forward in the likes of Sam Vokes, Tyrese Campbell and Lee Gregory, but there can be no denying that Dykes would be a shrewd addition to their attacking line.

He has scored plenty of goals for Livingston and also registered an impressive number of assists this season as well, which suggests that he could bring something different to the bet365 Stadium.

£2 million for a player of his age and quality in front of goal should be a no-brainer, considering that Stoke need to recruit wisely and avoid splashing the cash too much this summer.

Are these 10 facts about QPR actually true?

 

 

Jacob Potter

He could be worth a punt for Michael O'Neill's side.

Dykes has already shown that he knows where the back of the net is on a consistent basis whilst with Livingston.

Therefore, I'm not surprised to hear that he's attracting interest from Championship clubs heading into the new season.

The last few seasons haven't been anywhere near good enough for Stoke, and they need to take a chance on a player of Dykes' quality.

He could be one of the signings of the season if he can replicate his impressive showings whilst in the Scottish leagues.

Sam Rourke

I can see why O'Neill is keen.

Dykes has enjoyed a stellar season at Livingstone in the season just gone, scoring nine goals and recording eight assists in the SPFL.

Stoke do already possess several striking options with Benik Afobe, Sam Vokes, Lee Gregory and Tyrese Campbell all gunning for a starting berth, so in my eyes at this current moment in time, the need for a new striker is not paramount.

Of course, It would not surprise me to see two of the aforementioned quartet move on, and if this happens, Dykes could be a viable option.

The Potters are seemingly trying to rejuvenate their playing squad by bringing in young, hungry players with a point to prove, and in Dykes you'd get just that.

There is no denying it would be a risk forking out £2 million for him, with the main question mark revolving around whether he can emulate his form in Scotland down south in the Championship.

You just have to look at someone like Jason Cummings, who was sensational at Hibernian, yet has not really hit the heights in the EFL