Aston Villa scouting Bristol City left back ahead of possible promotion
By Josh Tonti
The left back position is due for reinforcement in the summer transfer window. 24-year old Bristol City defender Joe Bryan could be an option, per reports.
The Sun make a quick mention that chief Aston Villa scout Tony Coton was recently watching Bristol City left back Joe Bryan, in hopes of raiding him in the summer for (hopefully) Premier League competition.
"“Chief scout Tony Coton has run an eye over the raiding left-back, who would add fresh legs and thrust to the Villa side. Boss Steve Bruce will have a chance of landing Bryan, 24, if Villa go back to the Premier League — but he may be too pricey in the Championship.”"
Bryan is a Bristol City lifer, spending his entire youth and professional career with the Robins, save loan spells with Bath City and Plymouth Argyle. His contract expires in the summer of 2019. Therefore, this is not a situation of Villa attempting to land a player on an expiring contract. Though, Bristol may settle for less with a year to go on his current deal. Bryan is in the midst of an excellent season for the Robins, making 40 appearances across all competitions. WhoScored rates him highly in both the left back and left wingback positions. Of note, he has made at least 40 appearances in the last three seasons as well.
Villa Verdict:
Good player in a position of need. At face value, Bryan might not strike as a Premier League-quality defender, but everything on his resume alludes to such. There’s added risk because the player has never played in England’s top flight, so the variance here could be considerable.
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Still, he won’t turn 25 until September so there might be a little bit of hidden upside for a player reaching his theoretical prime. The rumor isn’t substantive or anything, but expect Aston Villa to transfer in a left back this summer. Joe Bryan fits the mold.