There is Premier League and Championship interest in National League top scorer Kabongo Tshimanga according to reports this week.
The 24 year old Chesterfield hot-shot has captured many clubs’ attention in recent seasons, and for this term, already has 21 goals to his name after 22 appearances.
It’s understood that one top flight side has been scouting him with a view to potentially snapping him up while several Championship outfits are also keen, however no bids have come in for him according to Derbyshire Times.
Asked by the DT if the club has received any bids for him, boss James Rowe said: “No, we have not received anything.
“In terms of Kabs’ future, he is very happy here.
“His only focus is on the end goal, which is where we want to be, we want to be a League Two club come the end of the season. If we don’t make it, it is about taking learning and moving forward and making sure we make it next year. But all focus is on this year.”
He added: “His form is fantastic, he has scored three in the last two league games, I think he could have scored more, if he is being honest with himself, he has had extra chances as well.
“The fact that he keeps getting in there, getting different types of goals, left foot, right foot, one-touch finishes, breakaway goals, he is a real asset to us and he is a credit to himself. His professionalism has been superb and his only focus is the end goal and achieving that as a team. “
The MK Dons youth product made his senior debut aged 18 in 2014 before loan moves to the likes of Aldershot, Chelmsford, Corby, Nuneaton, Chesham, Yeovil and Icelandic side Prottur as well as a permanent move to Boston United in 2017.
It is only in the last few years that he has hit the headlines, smashing goals in at the likes of Oxford City and Boreham Wood before his summer move to Chesterfield on a three-year deal.
He has already shown he can mix it with top flight sides after assisting Akwasi Asante’s goal and not looking out of place in the Spireites’ 5-1 loss at Chelsea in the FA Cup third round this season.
Tshimanga had been expected to move into the EFL last summer, but instead made the surprise move to stay in the same division – said to be for an undisclosed but ‘amazing’ sum of cash.
Boreham Wood chairman Danny Hunter said at the time: “The fee we had set was a top League One or Championship club but that also shows the ambition of the Chesterfield manager and the faith Chesterfield have in his judgement.
“Chesterfield handled everything impeccably and their manager is very ambitious and would not let go.
“The final fee agreed is an amazing fee for a National League team, especially to get that done with a fellow National League team.”
SPFL side Hearts have already been linked with a move, but it seems many English clubs want to bring him in with Premier League and Championship interest in the National League top scorer.
In November 2021, Kabongo Tshimanga was said to be ‘happy’ at Chesterfield and manager James Rowe said his future is at the Spireites.
“He is happy here, his future is here, don’t worry about that,” Rowe told the DT.
“He wants to be here, he loves it here and he is enjoying developing his game alongside the goals he is scoring.
“It is not just the goals he is scoring, it is his overall movement, his hold-up play, he is giving the ball off quicker and spinning in so there are a lot of things Danny Webb (first-team coach) and me are working on with him. It is not just on the pitch, it is from video clips as well, he is getting a lot of development tools.
“He has got the talent, he is a great human being, he wants to learn and if you want to learn and you have an open mindset and you don’t get carried away and you are humble every day, you have got a chance.
“I can’t speak highly enough of him as a human being, he is very humble.
“I know his form will continue because he is the first on the training pitch and normally he is the last off it which shows an intent of where he wants to go and hopefully he can fire us up the pyramid.”
When he was at Milton Keynes Dons in 2014, his then-manager Karl Robinson described Tshimanga as “quick, powerful, he wants to run at people and he’s a constant threat.”
HIS CAREER:
Youth career
2005–2014 – Milton Keynes Dons
Senior career
2014–2017 – Milton Keynes Dons – 6 games (0 goals)
2015 → Aldershot Town (loan) – 2 games (0 goals)
2015 → Chelmsford City (loan) – 4 games (0 goals)
2015 → Corby Town (loan) – 10 games (5 goals)
2015–2016 → Nuneaton Town (loan) – 5 games (1 goal)
2016 → Chesham United (loan) – 7 games (0 goals)
2016 → Þróttur (loan) – 6 games (0 goals)
2017 → Yeovil Town (loan)
2017–2018 – Boston United – 34 games (8 goals)
2018–2019 – Oxford City – 42 games (24 goals)
2019–2021 – Boreham Wood – 79 games (38 goals)
2021– Chesterfield – 22 games (21 goals)
National team
2019 – England C
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