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Lincoln City have signed winger Charles Vernam on a free transfer.

The 25-year-old rejected the offer of a new contract at Bradford City after a season and a half at Valley Parade.

The former Derby County academy product scored 10 goals in 54 appearances for the Bantams after joining from Burton Albion in February last year.

"Charles is a player who fits what we want from an attacking player - someone who can be direct and aggressive going forward," said head coach Mark Kennedy.

"He's a Lincoln lad who we know is looking forward to representing his hometown club.

"He has excellent attributes, can create and score goals, will be a real attacking threat and we are delighted to have signed him when, as a free agent, he's had a lot of other interest.

"Charles is a great age and has the ability to make a big contribution in what we are building moving forward," Kennedy added to the club website.

Vernam becomes Lincoln's second summer capture from Bradford after the signing of defender Paudie O'Connor from the Bantams earlier this week.

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Lincoln City have signed midfielder Tashan Oakley-Boothe from Championship club Stoke City on a season-long loan.

The 22-year-old has made 23 senior appearances for the Potters, but none since March of last year, after coming through the Tottenham Hotspur academy.

He was previously a member of England's 2017 Under-17 World Cup-winning squad.

"It's a great opportunity for me to play games. The style of football here is attractive to me, and suits me as a player," he told the Imps website.

The move reunites him with defender TJ Eyoma, who was in the Spurs academy at the same time.

"TJ and I have known each other since primary school and we've been close ever since - we went to the same secondary school and played for Tottenham and England together. He spoke so highly of the club so it was a no brainer for me to come," Oakley-Boothe added.

He is the third summer signing by Lincoln, following Paudie O'Connor and Charles Vernam.

"He is an all-round midfielder with fantastic technical ability and athleticism who can play a massive role for us this season," head coach Mark Kennedy said.

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Lincoln City have signed FC Halifax Town defender Jay Benn for an undisclosed fee.

The 20-year-old - who came up through the Yorkshire club's academy - made 10 National League appearances last term.

Lincoln have not disclosed any details of the deal to bring Benn to the club.

"He has fantastic athletic and technical attributes, he is forward thinking, forward running, forward passing and will really excite our supporters," said boss Mark Kennedy.

"Our recruitment department identified him early in his FC Halifax Town career and we have worked really hard to sign him ahead of competition from other League One clubs,"

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Lincoln have signed former Brighton Under-23 midfielder Danny Mandroiu from Shamrock Rovers.

The 23-year-old, who helped Rovers win the League of Ireland title last year, was called up to the full national squad earlier this summer.

Mandroiu impressed in a two-year stint at Bohemians before joining Rovers and scoring 22 goals in 53 games.

He becomes the Imps' fifth signing since Mark Kennedy's appointment as head coach.

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Lincoln City have signed goalkeeper Carl Rushworth on a season-long loan from Brighton & Hove Albion.

The 21-year-old is yet to make a first-team appearance for the Premier League club, but featured 46 times for League Two side Walsall on loan last season.

Rushworth earned his first England Under-21 call up last year, but is yet to make an international appearance.

"He is an outstanding goalkeeper, with the attributes to play at the highest level," Imps boss Mark Kennedy said.

Kennedy said Lincoln faced competition for Rushworth from a number of League One rivals.

"We have tracked Carl and made Brighton aware of our interest in him for several months, so we are delighted that everything has now been agreed," he continued.

Lincoln City now have three first-team goalkeepers on their books, with Jordan Wright arriving from Nottingham Forest in January while Sam Long spent time on loan at Drogheda last term.

"In Sam and Jordan we have two really talented young goalkeepers of our own and we remain committed to their continued individual long-term development," Kennedy said.

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Lincoln City have agreed a deal to sign Swansea City forward Jordon Garrick on loan for the rest of the season.

The 24-year-old scored seven goals in 50 appearances during a loan spell with Plymouth last term.

Garrick made his first-team debut for the Swans in August 2019 and has gone on to play 14 times in the Championship, scoring twice.

He becomes the League One Imps' seventh signing of the summer transfer window.

"I'm super happy to be here - I've been at Swansea now for 10 years and it feels like this is the right club to take my career to the next step," Garrick said.

"I spoke to Liam Cullen, who was on loan here last season, he said it was a great group of lads and a well-run club. He said how passionate the fans are and spoke nothing but positively about the club."

Lincoln have made an unbeaten start to the new season under boss Mark Kennedy, drawing both their league games before beating Doncaster in the first round of the Carabao Cup.

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Lincoln City have signed Sunderland forward Jack Diamond on loan for the rest of the season.

The 22-year-old, who has had two previous loan spells with Harrogate, has made two appearances for the Championship club this season.

Diamond is Lincoln's ninth signing of the summer transfer window.

"The time and effort that's gone into this have been phenomenal - it was a really difficult one to get over the line," said boss Mark Kennedy.

"It's hard to get young players with experience and he knows what first-team football is all about, he's been in the environment, he's been in that cauldron of fire and it definitely helps, for sure," he told BBC Radio Lincolnshire.

Diamond made his senior debut for Sunderland in a 2-0 League One victory at Swindon in October 2020 and has played 42 games for them in all competitions.

"The facilities here are really good and hopefully I'll fit in well and help progress my career further," he said.

"I've played a full season last year with Harrogate and need that consistency to keep pushing myself in my career - this club is a great platform to do it."

Lincoln are next in action on Tuesday when they play Barnsley at Oakwell in the Papa John's Trophy.

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Lincoln City have added midfielder Matty Virtue to their squad on a season-long loan from Blackpool.

Virtue has played 70 games for the Tangerines since moving to Bloomfield Road in 2019, scoring eight goals.

He had also made three appearances in the Championship this season.

The 25-year-old was a product of Liverpool's academy and a regular in their under-21 side, but he never played for the Reds' senior team.

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League One Lincoln City have signed wing-back Harry Boyes on loan until the end of the season from Championship club Sheffield United.

Boyes, 21, is a former Manchester City trainee where he worked with current Imps boss Mark Kennedy.

He joined the Blades in July 2020 and spent last season on loan with National League side Solihull Moors.

Boyes has been with Forest Green Rovers in League One this term where he has made 16 appearances in total.

He is the Imps first signing of the transfer window and follows 24 hours after Jordan Garrick's loan at the club ended when the Swansea City striker joined Forest Green.

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Lincoln City have signed Crystal Palace striker Luke Plange on loan until the end of the season.

The 20-year-old joined the Eagles from Derby County last January.

He was loaned back to the Rams by the Premier League side and finished last season with four goals in 26 league appearances.

"I've met the lads already and I'm ready to get straight into training and start preparing for the first game," he told the club website.

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Lincoln City have signed Dylan Duffy from League of Ireland side UC Dublin, and Ethan Erhahon from Scottish side St Mirren for an undisclosed fee.

Both forward Duffy, 20, and midfielder Erhahon, 21, join Mark Kennedy's Imps on undisclosed-length contracts.

Duffy scored three goals in 34 games for UCD during the 2022 season.

Glasgow-born Erhahon leaves the Buddies having played 122 first-team games since making his debut aged 16 as an academy graduate.

St Mirren boss Stephen Robinson said that Erhahon's short-running contract was behind the decision to accept the offer and described the player as "a pleasure to work with".

The pair take Lincoln's January signings up to four, after the arrivals of Sheffield United wing-back Harry Boyes and Crystal Palace striker Luke Plange.

Kennedy's side currently lie 16th in League One, six points clear of the relegation zone.

Director of football Jez George said of Duffy's arrival: "Dylan is a talented young player, with exciting attacking attributes and potential, who will excite our fans once he has transitioned into full-time training, as he makes the huge step up into League One."

Duffy is reported to have turned down offers from Championship and League One clubs in order to move to Sincil Bank.

Meanwhile, 18-year-old forward Freddie Draper and defender Elicha Ahui, 19, have both joined Irish Premier Division side Drogheda United on loan for their upcoming 2023 campaign.

Ahui has made just one senior appearance for Lincoln, while Draper has featured 12 times for the club since making his debut last season.