Ipswich and Leicester could miss out as leader emerges after £4.5m Richard Kone race

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The race to sign Wycombe Wanderers striker Richard Kone is heating up with pre-season Championship promotion favourites Middlesbrough, Norwich City, Leicester and Ipswich Town all at risk of missing out.

Only two players in the whole of the Football League broke the 20-goal barrier during the 2024/25 season; Charlie Kelman at Leyton Orient and Michael Cheek at Bromley.

And just days after Charlton Athletic snapped up Kelman from QPR – the Addicks belatedly celebrating promotion with a marquee centre-forward signing rising to £5 million – a man who finished the League One campaign three goals behind him on 18 is making headlines of his own.

EFL Analysis can confirm, via football correspondent Graeme Bailey, that Wycombe talisman Richard Kone has plenty of admirers among a host of clubs expected to challenge at the top end of the Championship table.

While Southampton, Brentford and Crystal Palace scouted Kone during his breakout campaign in the EFL, EFL Analysis have been informed that the likes of Middlesbrough, Norwich, Leicester and Ipswich remain in contention.

But, as things stand, Swansea City are the team edging closer to reaching Wycombe’s £5 million asking price.

Richard Kone bid arrives as Swansea City look to beat Ipswich and Middlesbrough

While Preston North End allegedly submitted a £3 million bid on Wednesday, per BBC Sport, Swansea came forward with a far bigger offer of their own.

Bailey tells EFL Analysis that Swansea have put £4.5 million on Wycombe’s table, having seen an earlier bid rejected by a Chairboys outfit who lost out to Charlton in the play-off semi-finals in May.

Swansea are hoping to seal a deal for Kone, with only a £500,000 gap standing now between their latest bid and Wycombe’s asking price. One suspects that speed is of the essence, too.

Middlesbrough are selling Hayden Hackney to Ipswich for £15 million, plus add-ons. Boro, then, are coming into some money.

Leicester could bank upwards of £20 million themselves if goalkeeper Mads Hermansen joins West Ham, Omari Hutchinson could return to the Premier League himself from Portman Road.

EFL Analysis can confirm that Brentford remain keen on the £40 million-rated Hutchinson, having initially tried to sign the winger ahead of Bryan Mbeumo’s switch to Manchester United.

Norwich pulled off a coup with Matthias Kvistgaarden, however, while Southampton spent £7 million on ex-Cologne targetman Damion Downs. It remains to be seen if either the Canaries or the Saints are serious about investing another six-figure sum on Richard Kone too.

Swansea lead Oli McBurnie race as they close in on Wycombe striker

A prolific goalscorer in non-league with Athletic Newham, Kone took to professional football like the proverbial duck to water at Adams Park. While finishing just shy of Kelman in the League One Golden Boot race, the 22-year-old Ivorian did find the net 21 times across all competitions.

Presuming he can make another step up, Kone’s arrival would be a massive boost for a Swansea City outfit who managed only 51 goals in 46 Championship matches.

Jerry Yates has been tipped to re-join Derby County. Another man who may yet return to familiar surroundings, meanwhile, is Oli McBurnie. Reports claim that, despite interest from Hull City, free-agent McBurnie has unfinished business in South Wales.

Other clubs keen on Richard Kone include Birmingham, Millwall and Ligue 1 outfit Toulouse. He has interest from Belgium too.