Hartlepool could be set for a summer transfer battle, with no end of clubs from higher up the pyramid looking to try and steal Luke Molyneux away from them, as reported by Hartlepool Mail.

The League Two side have seen him impress in the fourth tier so far this season, with 38 games bringing eight goals so far.

At just 24-years-old too, there is plenty of time to continue to improve and better that goal tally in future campaigns.

Molyneux, who can play on the wing as well as more centrally, has been solid in his side's season and has been one of the reasons why the club are currently in the top half of the division.

In fact, he currently stands as their top goalscorer and they will be in no hurry to let him leave.

However, the decision may ultimately be taken out of their hands.

He has only been tied down to the club until the summer and if he doesn't pen a fresh agreement before then, he will be available for absolutely nothing during the transfer window.

That fact has led to interest from much further up the pyramid, with teams in League One now believed to be sniffing around.

Even worse is that some Scottish Premiership clubs have been considering moves too - and if some of those interested parties can offer a potential tilt at Europe then it would be a huge jump and really tempt the player into leaving his current club.

Hartlepool will no doubt be desperate to do what they can to keep him on - but they may struggle to do so when the window opens and all of these interested parties can start putting their own offers on the table.

The Verdict

It would make sense for Luke Molyneux to stay with Hartlepool and continue to thrive, with the side seemingly on an upwards trajectory and the striker at the forefront of it too.

Leaving them now would be a blow and he could cement himself as a club hero if he were to stay and help them get another promotion into League One. However, the opportunity to make the leap up in divisions now may be tempting for the player if the chance does present itself.

Even more tempting is the Scottish Premiership and if any of the teams in the top half of the table are willing to offer him gametime, then it could be a real decision that he has to make. If any of those could climb into a European spot, then it would be a huge factor in Molyneux's decision.

Either way, there will certainly be a tug-of-war for his services this summer but it will be one that Hartlepool are hoping they can win.