According to the recent report from the Daily Mirror’s live transfer blog (03/07), Leeds United have entered the race to sign Bristol City’s impressive left-back Joe Bryan. The defender is set to enter the last year of his contract with the Robins and the player has garnered a lot of interest in this summer transfer window. Some Premier League clubs like Burnley have also shown an interest in the player so with some top-flight clubs entering the fray to sign him, Leeds’ chances look bleak at the moment.
The player is going to enter the last year of his contract and Bristol City has offered him a new contract if some reports are t0 be believed, however, the player is not keen on extending his stay at the club. Bryan was the best left back in the league statistically and was a regular feature for his side down the left. He made 48 appearances in all competitions and managed seven goals and three assists.
The Whites, meanwhile, after a good start to the last campaign finished 13th. They sacked two managers in the space of four months. However, now they have gone for a veteran option in Marcelo Bielsa and a lot will be expected out of the former Argentina coach. Signing Bryan will go in a long way in bolstering the squad but it seems rather unlikely that the player will leave Bristol City to join Leeds United when he has better offers available from some top division clubs.
The Whites struggled to find a solid left back last campaign as their January signing Laurens De Bock failed to establish himself in the side. Paul Heckingbottom had to use Vurnon Anita who is a defensive midfielder to fill in the left-back role. Later on, he promoted Tom Pearce, from the u-23 squad to the senior team and the youngster did show some promise in the latter half of the season. However, Bryan will certainly be an upgrade over all the available options at the moment.
Bryan is a tireless worker down the left and is equally good at defending and attacking. Hence, he can be termed as a complete modern day fullback and he will certainly fit well into Bielsa’s system.
The Peacocks are currently in no position to match Premier League clubs when it comes to luring players so maybe they should shift their focus from Bryan and look for other viable options for the left back position.
