Falkirk are holding firm over Barney Stewart after Lincoln City, West Bromwich Albion and Oxford United all saw bids rejected for the 22-year-old striker on May 15, 2026. West Bromwich Albion, in particular, have emerged as the most aggressive suitor so far, with reports saying they have already had multiple offers turned down by the Scottish side.
The Daily Record reported that West Bromwich Albion went in with a seven-figure bid for Stewart, who is now regarded as one of the most talked-about forwards in Scottish football after a sharp rise from university football to the top level. Lincoln City were also among the clubs linked with a rejected offer, while Pete O’Rourke said Oxford United had joined the list of sides to be turned away. Stewart was signed from Heriot-Watt University in 2024 and began the season on loan at Dunfermline Athletic, where he scored eight goals in 12 matches before Falkirk recalled him.
That move changed the scale of his season. Stewart went on to finish with 18 goals across the campaign, a return that has put a £1m valuation on a player who only arrived at Falkirk two years ago. He has since been shortlisted for the Scottish Football Writers’ Association Young Player of the Year award and nominated for the PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year prize, adding further weight to the case that his breakthrough is no accident.
For Falkirk, the timing matters. Reports in Scotland say Stewart still has three years remaining on his contract, which leaves the club under no immediate pressure to sell and strengthens its hand in any talks. That long deal is especially useful at a moment when interest from England is building and the chase is beginning to look less like scouting and more like a bidding contest.
The tension for Falkirk is that Stewart’s rise has been so fast it has created its own market. A player signed from university football in 2024, then loaned out, recalled and turned into a 18-goal forward in one season, is exactly the sort of asset bigger clubs try to move on quickly. But Falkirk have so far drawn a line, and with West Bromwich Albion appearing to have been the most forceful club in the pursuit, the next move is likely to tell whether this is a passing round of interest or the start of a serious summer battle.
