Bromley are poised to add Lincoln City midfielder JJ McKiernan to their squad as they prepare for the first League One season in the club’s history.
The Ravens have reportedly agreed a permanent deal for the 24-year-old, with Peter O’Rourke revealing the move on social media. An official announcement is still awaited, but the transfer would allow McKiernan to remain in the third tier while joining a club whose recent trajectory has been almost entirely upward.
Bromley’s rise has been one of the more remarkable stories in the EFL. They won promotion from the National League in 2024, then needed only two seasons to climb again, securing the League Two title with a 3-1 victory over Walsall on the final day of the 2025/26 campaign. Their next challenge is to build a squad capable of competing at a higher level, and McKiernan would arrive with experience of both League One and League Two football.
For the midfielder, the move also offers the prospect of a cleaner break after a difficult spell at Lincoln. He joined the Imps from Morecambe in July 2024 on a four-year contract, having emerged as an attacking threat from midfield during his time with the Shrimps. His most memorable contribution there was a hat-trick in a 3-1 win at Colchester United, the first away treble scored by a Morecambe player in the Football League.
That form did not carry across to Sincil Bank. McKiernan started Lincoln’s opening league fixture of the 2024/25 season, a 3-2 victory at Burton Albion, but he never established himself as a regular. His only goal for the club came against Manchester City Under-21s in the EFL Trophy, while an injury picked up in another Trophy tie against Morecambe further disrupted his attempts to gain momentum.
A loan move to Burton followed in January 2025, and McKiernan returned to the Brewers for the whole of the next season. His preference for remaining there was made clear when he spoke about wanting to stay at Burton, despite Lincoln giving him the opportunity to return and challenge for a place.
Those comments made it difficult to imagine a long-term future for him at Sincil Bank. Although he was involved in the early stages of Lincoln’s summer programme and played 45 minutes against Boston United, a permanent move always appeared the most likely conclusion.
McKiernan began his senior career at Watford, where he signed professional terms in 2021 after previously spending time with Andover Town. Loan spells with Bohemians and Eastleigh followed, but he left Vicarage Road without making a competitive first-team appearance before rebuilding his career at Morecambe.
Bromley will hope they are signing the version of McKiernan who caught the eye on the north-west coast rather than the player who struggled for rhythm at Lincoln. At 24, there is still time for him to become a productive League One midfielder, and a permanent role with a newly promoted side may give him the stability he has lacked over the past two seasons.
