Bristol City, Cardiff and Swansea told what they must do to land 42-goal striker

Notts County manager Luke Williams is anticipating offers for rumoured Bristol City transfer target Macaulay Langstaff.

The Magpies have won promotion to the Football League after beating Chesterfield on penalties, but Langstaff played a key role in their success this season. Langstaff scored 42 goals in 47 matches this season, and ended up winning the Golden Boot and Player of the Year award.

His goals have not gone amiss with reported interest from the Robins, Swansea City, as well as Severnside Derby rivals Cardiff City. Preston North End were said to be interested too, but Ryan Lowe ruled their interest out in January. Langstaff's list of admirers is sure to have grown since inspiring Notts County to promotion.

All four clubs were told in December it would take something to 'prize away' Langstaff from Meadow Lane, and now the 2022/23 campaign has concluded, there will for sure be some interest that could be acted on this summer. Luke Williams - formerly the Under-23's coach at Ashton Gate - says he is anxious about any transfer interest, and has discussed what will be needed to consider selling him.

He admitted to the Daily Mirror: “We can fend off opponents that aren’t offering Macaulay a drastically improved, life-changing contract. We can survive those offers.

“But if it is an offer that is life-changing…now we sit and wait, anxiously anticipating offers coming in and to what level.”

The 26-year-old is somewhat of a late bloomer after spending all of his career in the non-league. He scored at a local level for Billingham Synthonia, and that got him a move to York City in 2018, where he reached double figures. Langstaff found form with Gateshead in 2021, scoring an impressive 32 goals in 44 matches, and was signed last year on a three-year contract for a reported £50,000 and he rewarded Notts County with the goals.

City have been linked with moves with Lincoln City's Ben House and Hibernian's Kevin Nisbet in recent weeks. Both players have had more experience at professional level than Langstaff, but aren't thought to be on the radar. A move for Langstaff could be considered if there is a fair price, but striker isn't an area of concern given the options City have up top. Sam Bell, Nahki Wells, Tommy Conway and Harry Cornick can all play as a central striker, with Seb Palmer-Houdlen waiting in the wings. Last week Nigel Pearson perhaps dispelled rumours of any move for a forward.

"Forwards are very expensive," Pearson said to BristolLive last week. "Forwards are commodities that don't come up very often. Are we in a position to buy better than we've got? I don't think we are. For us to buy players who are better than the ones that we currently have would be very, very expensive. So we'll produce them instead."