My word, Alan Pardew has had a tough time of it this season. The Newcastle fans have collectively rounded on the man in the dugout after a disastrous 2014 – five wins all year – with the former Southampton boss having received all manner of abuse on a weekly basis this term.
The frustration being felt by those on Tyneside is understandable. The club were so close to the Champions League in 2012, but the days of good results and dreams of glamour midweek fixtures are a thing of the past, with genuine relegation fears on the agenda.
But among the disasters and catastrophes that go with the Newcastle road show, there have been some truly great bits of trolling, banter and general funniness. Here are TEN of the best bits here…
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With the January transfer window now looming upon the football schedule with a view to excite, surprise and ultimately switch things up for the rest of the season, the often underrated world of French football once again serves up several delights for the rest of Europe to potentially sample this winter.
Whilst the majority of bosses in Ligue 1 will likely want to keep hold of their most prized assets, the overall popularity and lure of Europe’s other top leagues may prove just too much for some players in French football to turn down.
With that in mind, just who are the Ligue 1 stars that could be on the move this January.
Alexandre Lacazette
Football – Olympique Lyonnais v Juventus – UEFA Europa League Quarter Final First Leg – Gerland Stadium, Lyon, France – 13/14 – 3/4/14Alexandre Lacazette of Olympique Lyonnais Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Matthew ChildsEDITORIAL USE ONLY.
Lyon’s latest French sensation is simply one of the most coveted players in world football at the moment. Alexander Lacazette just has everything to his game. He is fast, strong, takes up great positions and seemingly scores for fun in Ligue 1.
So far in 2014/15, the exciting 23-year-old currently leads the top goal scorers lists in France with an incredible 17 goals, only three of which being penalties. Lacazette has also made a name for himself as a provider as well as a goal-scorer, with a decent five assists already recorded in this league campaign.
Such an impressive start to the season hasn’t gone unnoticed by Europe’s finest however. Newcastle United and Arsenal have expressed brief interests in the striker in the past, but Alexandre Lacazette’s most recent admirers have been Liverpool. Brendan Rodgers could certainly use some more firepower up front at the minute, but as Lyon’s newest hot-shot has been in explosive form so far this campaign, many believe that the Reds may have missed their chance to sign him on the cheap.
Ezequiel Lavezzi
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Alongside Edison Cavani and Marek Hamsik at Napoli, Ezequiel Lavezzi was largely considered to be one of Europe’s most promising young players who would go on to achieve everything. Since his big-money move to PSG however, Lavezzi’s progress has hardly been rapid.
The bustling Argentinean forward has seen his priority status slowly diminish whilst spending time at the Parisian giants. Subsequent managers have played Lavezzi either as an outside striker or as a winger, with neither position proving as effective as his usual centre-forward role. The PSG no. 22 is of the Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez mould, but you just wouldn’t know it from his time in Ligue 1.
Brendan Rodgers and Liverpool are once again reportedly the most interested in signing Ezequiel Lavezzi, but rumours suggesting a move back to Serie A with either Juventus or Milan have also begun to do the rounds. With a fee rumoured to be around £8 million however, perhaps we will see a few more sides come in for Ezequiel Lavezzi as the transfer window progresses.
Loic Perrin
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Whilst this 29-year-old defender has hardly set the world alight before in his career, Loic Perrin has become a firm fan favourite as captain of St. Etienne, whilst also representing the French national team on a couple of occasions in recent years.
Perrin possess the ability to play as either a solid centre-back, or as a slightly more expansive defensive midfielder in the middle of the park. Whilst he has never been blessed with a vast array of technical ability, St. Etienne’s main man goes down as a good leader on the pitch, and someone who doesn’t take any nonsense from the opposition.
All of which would suit Arsenal nicely at the moment, so it comes as no surprise that Arsene Wenger has apparently been keeping tabs on the St. Etienne captain. Such reports may seem unfounded at the moment, and there are surely other options that Arsenal could be surveying out there if they were to look hard enough, but Loic Perrin still remains one of the most important names to be linked with a move to the Emirates in the run up to the winter transfer window.
Romain Alessandrini
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Although he has been deployed as an out-in-out striker in past, Romain Alessandrini is officially an attacking midfielder who has the ability to create chances galore, and put a few of them away in the process.
During 2014/15, Marseille have performed a somewhat transformation in their fortunes, rising to an impressive first place in Ligue 1 after the half way mark. As a result however, Alessandrini has so far been restricted to only three league starts this season, scoring just the one goal. Fans of French football will all know what this live-wire is all about from his time at Clermont Foot and Stade Rennais, but so far Marseille’s new-boy hasn’t quite lived up to the mark.
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Whilst a direct move away from French football isn’t exactly on the cards for the 25-year-old, seeing as both Juventus and Borussia Dortmund have expressed an interest in the midfielder in the past, you would expect that Romain Alesandrini will not be left on the subs bench for long. The January window could signal an end to his time at Marseille, but it could prove the time when Alessandrini really gets going at his new club.
Dimitri Payet
//www.youtube.com/embed/ocVdXYHBAbM
Seeing as Marcelo Bielsa’s Marseille are doing so well this campaign, in comes as no surprise that another of their stars, this time Dimitri Payet, has been attracting interest from the Premier League and beyond.
Payet is a player who has the power to excite. He has the pace and technical skill to take on defenders, but he is also a clever footballer who’s decision making has been on-point for his side so far in 2014/15. Five league goals is also good going for the 27-year-old, as assisting is far more important to his game than scoring. Since being part Lille’s title winning side in 2011, Dimitri Payet simply put his name on the map and he has never looked back since.
Whilst steady progress awaits the Marseille man if he is to continue his career in Ligue 1, an illustrious move to the Premier League could be enough to turn Payet’s head. Both Arsenal and Newcastle have again been linked with France’s latest rising star in their past exploits of Ligue 1, but Swansea City have so far been the latest PL side to express an interest in landing Payet.
Now that Christmas is over and another year of top-flight football is about to finish, sports fans across Europe have at least one thing they can count on to excite them in the new year- The January transfer window.
For fans of the Bundesliga in particular, this calendar year has certainly been a one to savour. The German national side have successfully proven their dominance on the international scene, domestic attendances are at an all-time high, and despite Bayern Munich’s clear superiority at the top of the table, the rest of German football remains as unpredictable and as exciting as ever.
Whilst all of this certainly bodes well for the talent on offer in the Bundesliga, fans of clubs across the rest of Europe can definitely expect their sides to be keeping the German league on their radar for any smart, or equally stupid, transfer deals that may break the surface this January.
So here’s five Bundesliga stars who could be heading to the Premier League in January…
Christoph Kramer
Despite desperately limping off injured in the World Cup final, this promising 23-year-old box-to-box midfielder has everything in his locker to become the next star of the Bundesliga. Christpoh Kramer has already impressed German fans for his ability with the ball, and the fact that he is already a World Cup winner says just how far he is yet to go in world football.
Kramer may officially be a Bayer Leverkusen player, but his extended loan to Borussia Monchengladbach has made him a strong fan favourite among the Borussia-Park faithful. So far in 2014/15, the young German has scored perhaps the best own goal of the year, but his other striking attempts and overall play has more than made up for that one error. Kramer is effortlessly comfortable on the ball and can seemingly pick out a sweet pass at the drop of a hat, for that reason, nearly every top team in Europe has been seemingly linked with the German no. 23 in recent weeks.
The Borussia centre-midfielder isn’t the strongest on a physical level however, so perhaps more work may be needed on Kramer’s part if he were to make it in the Premier League. Nevertheless, Arsene Wenger is apparently ready to make a £20million bid for the player, but will have to shake off any interest from Real Madrid in the process if he wants the deal to go through.
Heung Min Son
At only 22-years-old, Heung Min Son’s brief career in the Bundesliga has already been filled with several great performances and some even better goals. The young striker may have only joined Bayer Leverkusen last season, but the South Korean striker has been a revelation in German football ever since he first broke onto the scene with Hamburger SV.
Son had a decent World Cup with South Korea in the summer, seeing as Asian teams very rarely progress from the group stages, and became a national hero with his well taken goal against Algeria. His characteristics undoubtedly hold him in good stead to be a deadly finisher at times, but for the large part Heung Min Son is calm on the ball and composed with his passing. The main-man from South Korea has also become renowned for his long range efforts and ability to bag a goal from pretty much out of nowhere.
Such a player would certainly suit Liverpool at this current stage in the season, especially as Brendan Rodgers was thought to have wanted Son as well as Emre Can, who eventually signed from Leverkusen in the summer. The young talent is also said to have turned down Manchester United in the past, and as neither of these two Premier League giants have Champions League football guaranteed for next season, perhaps the switch to the English football won’t happen just yet for Heung Min Son.
Shinji Okazaki
Another Bundesliga sensation from the far-East comes in the form of Shinji Okazaki. The in-form striker currently holds the record for most goals scored by a Japanese player in the German league, as well as recently becoming the third all-time top goal-scorer in Japanese international history.
Okazaki has won fans over in the Bundesliga for his composure in front of goal, reliable finishing rate and dramatic ability to save his team with last minute winners. The determined striker was in the form of his life last season, scoring an impressive 15 goals, and he has made a good start to 2014/15 as well with eight goals already nicely taken so far.
Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham have all been linked with the Japanese hit-man, but a move to West Ham has been most recently touted as of late. As Shinji Okazaki lacks the sensation and high profile nature of a Diego Costa or Alexis Sanchez type character, perhaps a switch to the East End would seem right for this Bundesliga man, but Okazaki will really have to make an impression in England if he is to make it in Big Sam’s improved Hammers side.
Alexander Meier
The latest Bundesliga hot-shot to shoot up the goal scoring charts is none other than Eintracht Frankfurt’s very own goal-machine – Alexander Meier. The German forward currently has the most domestic goals in his league, with an impressive 13 already put away in 2013/14, successfully keeping his side in the top half of the table.
Meier is a pony-tailed beast of a player that could certainly prove a hit in the Premier League. He has the perfect mix of pace and strength, and whilst he seemingly suits the role of a burley centre-forward, this latest German sensation is actually an attacking midfielder.
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At 31-years-old however, Alexander Meier has hardly set the world alight before, but this could nevertheless be a late blooming on the German striker’s part. Even if he hasn’t been this prolific in the Bundesliga before, Meier has finished the last three seasons as Eintracht’s top scorer and has become a firm fan favourite at the Commerzbank-Arena whilst doing so.
For that reason, Meier will certainly be a tough asset to prize away from his current club. His success this season may have the ‘one-hit-wonder syndrome’ look about it, but with many teams looking to stave of relegation to the Championship this year, expect several Premier League suitors to express an interest regardless.
Ricardo Rodriguez
Ricardo Rodriguez represents one of the most coveted young players in German football. The 22-year-old Swiss defender predominantly plays at left-back, but he can also be deployed in the centre of the back-line as well as in defensive midfield, giving him all the hall-marks of the perfect modern full-back.
Rodriguez’ quality was on show at the 2014 World Cup with Switzerland, where a series of impressive performances saw the young defender become a vital asset in his side’s attacks, as well as proving to be solid at the back. This latest Swiss sensation has even more to his game however. Due to his Spanish/Chilean parentage, Ricardo Rodriguez has the ability to mix natural Latin flair with the systematic efficiency needed to thrive in the Bundesliga. His crossing skills and ability to score free-kicks are therefore high up in Rodriguez’s skill-set.
Whilst high-flying Wolfsburg have already stated that their no. 34 won’t be going anywhere this January, interest from the Premier League remains rife. Manchester United will likely keep up their pursuit of the full-back, as they had done over the summer, but now the prospect of joining Chelsea may be too much to turn down for all parties involved. Mourinho is reportedly interest in Rodriguez to give his defence more dynamism coming forward.
Bradford City continued their magnificent season with a truly memorable victory over Sunderland this past weekend. The 2-0 win over their Premier League counterparts saw the Bantams make it through to the FA Cup quarter-finals for the first time since 1976.
A tie against Championship strugglers Reading presents a realistic chance of a return to Wembley and emulate their 2013 League Cup exploits. With the Bantams just two points off the play-offs in League One with two games in hand, it could be yet another unbelievable season at Valley Parade.
Manager Phil Parkinson deserves a lot of credit for the way he has managed to turn around the clubs fortunes so drastically. He took over in 2011 when the team had struggled in League Two for four years since their relegation from League One. Financial problems didn’t help, but Parkinson managed to steer his side clear of relegation in his first season as manager, and gave the club one of their most memorable campaigns in recent history by reaching the League Cup final in 2012/13.
They also became the first club since 1962 to reach the League Cup final from the fourth tier of English football. Historic wins against Arsenal and Aston Villa saw Bradford make it to the final, where Swansea were just too good on the day, winning 5-0.
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However despite this result, the club secured promotion to League One that season, with a 3-0 over Northampton in the play-off final. It ended a six year spell in League Two, and last season was a satisfying return, finishing 11th. In just their second year back in League One, Parkinson’s men have a great chance of returning to the Championship for the first time since 2004. On current form, you certainly wouldn’t bet against it.
Bradford have been outstanding in this year’s FA Cup, already playing six times en route to the quarter-finals. It could have been so different as they only narrowly defeated Halifax 2-1 in the first round, coming from behind to secure victory in the West Yorkshire derby.
The Fourth round win over Chelsea was arguably the biggest shock in FA Cup history, especially due to the Premier League leaders were 2-0 up and cruising before Bradford showed amazing character to overturn the lead.
Parkinson has assembled an extremely competent team over the years; one that is more than capable of competing at this level. The likes of Captain Stephen Darby and Andrew Davies have put in consistent performances at the back that makes them a hard side to break down. Both players have revitalised their careers at Valley Parade after being released by Premier League clubs and are capable of playing at the Championship level.
The midfield is an efficient unit built on experience, hard work and a tough-tackling mentality. Billy Knott, Filipe Morais and Gary Liddle were signed in the summer and have added that steel in the middle of the pitch that has made the team both resilient defensively and more threatening going forward.
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Up front, Jon Stead’s loan spell from Huddersfield until the end of the season has added goals, experience and knowhow which has benefited Bradford greatly. He offers something different to both Billy Clarke and James Hanson; who have also been in good goal scoring form this season.
Bradford have a well balanced side full of quality and hard working players who give their all for the club. Reaching Wembley is a realistic aim through both the FA Cup and play-off but how many times they will be playing at England’s famous old ground remains to be seen.
There is not really much more that those associated with Blackpool football club can take.
Rock bottom of the Championship, a team full of loans and cast-offs, a pitch that is one of (if not THE worst) in the whole of the Football League and a chairman who fails to see that anything is wrong.
Blackpool sit 17 points adrift of safety and are pretty much relegated, looking at the team’s dire league position only really scratches the surface of the problems at the club. After yet another defeat and dismal display by the Seasiders, fans were even further angered by this year’s annual accounts coming into the public eye, causing yet more bad publicity for the Lancashire club.
The team may be bottom of the league but the money – which has previously been described as “there for when we need it” – is soaring!
How this situation cannot be classed as “when we need it” goodness only knows. The annual accounts show that the club managed to make profits of nearly £10million, which is an increase on the on the previous year by £5.9million, despite the “parachute payments” from the glory year in the Premier League decreasing.
How can a team with this much money let themselves get in such a bad position?
When promoted into the Premier League in 2010 Blackpool fans chanted that it was the best trip they had ever been on – I bet none of them ever thought it would end up this bad. I know I didn’t.
Whilst things on the pitch have got worse since Blackpool were relegated in 2011, the real demise started with a 2-1 loss the year after at Wembley in the play-off final to West Ham. Since then there have been eight managers and over 100 players on short term contracts – a secure future has never been on the cards.
Karl Oyston used to class himself as a business man – not a football man – when he didn’t spend money in the transfer window and, for a while, it worked. Fans used to accept Oyston’s ways and were even proud that they were one of the only teams in the world not to be in hundreds of thousands pounds worth of debt.
But it’s now gone from one extreme to another. Oyston once described Blackpool as being “the envy of the football league.” Now they’re just a laughing stock.
Fans from other clubs pity Blackpool fans even Preston fans feel sorry for their rival’s supporters for way the club is going, which only makes the situation more depressing. Oyston might not be a football man but at the moment he isn’t a business man either, and sadly it doesn’t look like anything is likely to change.
Fans got excited at the knowledge that he is being investigated over his shocking texts that were sent to a fan but that, like at Leeds, doesn’t mean the end of the Oystons – it will just be passed to someone else in the family.
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Pool fans’ only hope is that he one day very soon the Oyston family wake up and realise their mistake but, somehow, you have to wonder if they are now doing it out of spite.
Louis Van Gaal was praised earlier this season for his inclusion of younger players in his starting XI and on his bench. But in recent weeks, his youth stars have taken a back seat for a more experienced side as the battle to secure top four has heated up. What has happened to Louis Van Gaal’s ‘forgotten’ youngsters?
Northern Irishman Paddy McNair was a bright spark earlier this season and when he was given the opportunity to play in the first team, he used it wisely. Despite being new to the Premier League, he held his own. He was tipped to become a regular in the squad, but he has featured less and less. He was handed a new deal at Manchester United, keeping him at the club until 2017 and was even called up for international duty with Northern Ireland. Why has he disappeared? He is surely hoping that featuring for the Green and White army would have helped to reinstate his place in the club.
James Wilson’s pace has been his selling point for his manager. Wilson has featured twelve times this season, ten of them as a substitute. As he is considerably younger than his teammates in the same position, this is a no brainer. Paul Scholes has called for Wilson to do more for his side, and whispers of a loan move have also surfaced.
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Tyler Blackett has been given a new contract this season, yet has only featured nine times for his side. He has hoped that his new contract will boost his chances of playing for his country. The last time Blackett started for Manchester United in the league was back in November against Arsenal. Will he start again before the end of the season, or will Van Gaal continue to use the same formation and squad that has proved successful?
Andreas Pereira has featured in just one league game this season – being subbed on for Juan Mata in the home game against Spurs. He has hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons this year, which surely won’t have gone down well with his manager. Louis Van Gaal is supposedly trying to ward off any interest from other clubs by offering the 19 year old a new contract at Old Trafford.
Does youth still have a place under Louis Van Gaal? For the most part, the players in question have been successful when given the chance. Why extend their contracts, or give them new ones if you did not believe in them? For the remainder of this season, however, it is hard to tell how often they will feature. But, come summer, Louis Van Gaal will need to consider the importance these youngsters will have in his side, as they will need to be playing regular football.
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Chelsea fans are laughing here in the Football Transfer Tavern after seeing this amazing viral image of their Champions bus.The Blues have been called boring at times this term – not to mention being accused of parking the bus, so it stands to reason that their social media department decided to play a bit of a joke on their detractors and get their own back with what we think has to be one of the best tweets they’ve managed this season.The Blues will of course say goodbye to more than one club legend during the parade and we think it’s a fitting end for both Didier Drogba and Petr Cech.Chelsea fans. Take a look at this epic tweet.
Chelsea fans. How boring have you actually been this season? Do you think it’s more a case of managing to grind out results when the players weren’t playing as well as during the first half of the season? Let us know your thoughts below.
It has taken quite some time for Juan Mata to become a regular starter at Manchester United, but he has proved his worth throughout this season.
When he has worked his way into the starting XI, he has helped to form a formidable, attacking side. He also has the goal of the season under his belt. Juan Mata has helped to create the team Louis Van Gaal wishes he had had all season.
As the formations and tactics were chopped and changed this season, Juan Mata has been one of the players who suffered whilst Louis Van Gaal found his feet. Along with his Spanish teammate Ander Herrera, Mata had to sit by and wait for his turn to impress. His substitution and benching problems began as early as September; he remained on the bench against West Ham as an unused sub, and then wasn’t used against Manchester City or Arsenal during the first half of the campaign.
He was used in the home game against Liverpool – one of the biggest fixtures Manchester United have – and managed to find himself on the scoresheet in an impressive 3-0 win. This proved that when given the minutes, Mata can do the job. Mata went through periods of starting, and then not starting for weeks. This was cause for concern; would he fit into Louis van Gaal’s plans? Was he right for United?
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Angel Di Maria’s second yellow card against Arsenal in the FA Cup earned him a one match ban. It also earned Juan Mata a starting place – initially as a last resort, but his time had come all the same. Mata played for more than an hour against Spurs, a game Manchester United also won 3-0.
The following week, Manchester United travelled to Anfield. Steven Gerrard’s final clash with his long term rivals. Mata was granted another start, and played the game of his life. He had already got one past Liverpool at home, but this time he bagged two away goals. His second was an easy contender for goal of the season.
The Spaniard has started every game since, and played the full 90 minutes in each outing bar the clash with Chelsea. It hasn’t been as great as hoped – three defeats on the bounce almost dented United’s top four hopes. But Juan Mata has shown why he has to be kept in the starting line up.
He scores goals – he is now the third United player to be in double figures for goals scored, along with Wayne Rooney and Robin Van Persie. This number would be significantly higher, had he been given more minutes this season. He has shown fight, and determination, and most importantly; he will create chances.
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His partnership with Ander Herrera has proved vital in the second half of the season, and will be important for next season’s campaign.
Despite the teething problems, Mata is back and here to stay.
The Europa League is often regarded as the Champions League’s ugly sister who no one is interested in, and despite attempts by UEFA to glamour it up by the reward of Champions League football it is perceived so negatively by English clubs and the media.
But it really shouldn’t be, and the competition suffers as it is used as a scapegoat for poor league form for clubs competing in it.
Whilst that may be true for some clubs, however if the teams were more equipped in terms of squad depth then surely the fixture pile up it presents shouldn’t be too much of a problem.
It has a stigma to it and unfortunately they won’t be changed here in England take it seriously, and since Chelsea won it is 2013 no English club has advanced past the round of 16.
Largely down to the fact it is perceived so negatively, but surely the chance for some form of European glory and now with the added incentive of Champions League football for the winner is a big enough incentive for English clubs to take the competition seriously.
Of course it could do with some restructuring, maybe reduce the amount of clubs in it and reduce the games as a result would go along way to making it more elite and less of a strain on clubs league form.
It is true to a degree that it will impact on league form the stats back it up, but for teams just short of the elite level (top four) in Spurs and Liverpool. The pair could be well advised to have a real crack at the competition as it won’t be easy for those two clubs to break the top four, winning the Europa League could well be their best shot of Champions League football.
Also, the clubs below the likes of Liverpool and Spurs like West Ham, Southampton, Swansea City and Stoke City will welcome the competition.
It is a chance for European football, and their fans wouldn’t mind a 13th place league finish if it meant they had a real run in a European competition. It is a good competition and should be seen positively and without it the clubs below the top four would have even less to play for.
Which is a bad thing, as all these clubs realistically have left to play for is Premier League survival and just maintaining a place in the Premier League, at least with the Europa League places being 5th and 6th, teams can gradually progress to aim for the Europa League and European football after establishing themselves as a regular Premier League side.
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Whilst it can be seen as a positive for some unfortunately down to the Europa League’s bad reputation for many it will be seen as a poor man’s Champions League until clubs and the media start to change their perception over the competition.
It could do with a restructuring, but at the moment it has it’s positives and clubs should focus on those rather than blame the Europa League for everything that goes wrong.
According to Football Insider, Everton and Newcastle United are both interested in signing Bristol City defender Joe Bryan in the January transfer window.
What’s the story?
It is thought that Everton and Newcastle will both be in the market for a new left-back when the winter window opens for business at the start of 2018.
According to Football Insider, the Premier League duo have been making regular checks on Bryan in recent weeks with the view to making an offer next month.
Bristol City are said to be desperate to keep hold of the 24-year-old as they look to sustain their brilliant form during the 2017-18 campaign.
However, it appears that the Championship outfit face a tough task to prevent Bryan from making the step up to the Premier League during the January transfer window.
What are Bryan’s credentials?
Bryan came through the youth system at Bristol City, and has made more than 200 first-team appearances for the club since his debut in 2012.
This season, the defender has scored three times and contributed two assists in 23 appearances for Bristol City in all competitions.
The full-back’s form has been key in helping the Robins win 12 of their 22 Championship matches this season.
A total of 43 points has left Lee Johnson’s side in third position in the second tier, and there is no question that Bryan’s form at left-back has been a key factor in their success.
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Widely regarded as one of the best defenders in the Championship, Bristol City seemingly face a very tough task in keeping the 24-year-old next month.
The player himself would surely relish the chance to play at a higher level, meanwhile, which makes this deal one to watch in the early stages of 2018.