Bristol Rovers are poised to sign star non-league striker Jonah Ayunga, Bristol Live understands.
The 23-year-old’s scoring exploits fired Havant & Waterlooville to the National League South play-offs, scoring 17 goals in 30 appearances before the season was curtailed due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The Kenyan international has been the subject of interest from plenty EFL clubs since the autumn after a brilliant start to life with the Hawks, but the Pirates are believed to have won the battle for his signature.
His superb form continued in Saturday’s play-off semi-final, scoring the opening goal against Dartford before Havant were reduced to 10 men and suffered a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat.
Eagle-eyed Gasheads were alerted when owner Wael Al-Qadi started following Ayunga on social media in the past fortnight, making Rovers’ interest the worst-kept secret this summer.
However, sources requested Bristol Live did not report the Pirates' pursuit until Havant’s play-off run was over, with a deal on hold until then.
Ayunga – who was called up to represent the country of his heritage in 2016 – is poised to be Rovers’ fifth addition of this elongated off-season, following Josh Grant, Jack Baldwin, Max Ehmer and Sam Nicholson to the Mem.
It will be Ayunga’s second taste of professional football after Brighton & Hove Albion snapped him up from Dorchester Town in 2016.
He was part of the Seagulls’ under-23 setup where he struggled to make a mark, but he enjoyed more success outside of academy football in stints with Sligo Rovers in the League of Ireland and Sutton United in the National League.
But it was at Westleigh Park with Havant this season where Ayunga came into his own, and sources are confident he has a good chance of making the grade with the Gas.
Rovers’ star centre-forward Jonson Clarke-Harris is subject to interest from several clubs after entering the final year of his contact.
Ayunga, however, is not viewed as an immediate replacement for the number nine.
Instead, the club want him to learn from Rovers’ top scorer and hopefully form an imposing strike partnership.
