Carlisle United keen on leading Scottish Championship striker

Carlisle United are reported to be among ‘several’ Football League clubs keen on a leading striker in the Scottish Championship.

According to Football Scotland, Carlisle are looking to bring 21-year-old Zak Rudden south of the border from Partick Thistle.

The 6ft 2ins Rudden has been capped at all age groups for Scotland from under-16s to under 21 and scored eight goals on the international stage.

For Partick this season he has been on good form with 10 goals in 24 games in all competitions, including one in Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Hamilton.

He is out of contract at the end of the campaign and is due to become a free agent next summer but Football Scotland says an increasing number of clubs, north and south of the border, are lining-up offers.

Motherwell and St Johnstone have both seen bids rejected for him recently, whilst two other unnamed Scottish Premiership sides are also believed to be interested.

Rudden started his career at Rangers and rose up through the academy of the Glasgow giants. He never made a senior appearance for the Ibrox club but was a regular for them at various youth levels.

While at Ibrox he had loan spells at Falkirk (31 games, 12 goals) and Plymouth Argyle (14 and 2) before moving to Partick Thistle on a permanent basis in January 2020.

That was on a two-and-a-half-year deal and he has since established himself as a key player for the Jags.

Carlisle are turning around their season in a battle to stay in League Two and were outstanding at the weekend in a 2-0 home win over Bradford City.

They have already moved in the January transfer window by signing Joel Senior (Altrincham) and Omari Patrick (Burton) and taken Norwich’s exciting youngster Tyrese Omotoye on loan until the end of the season.