Bristol City have had an opening bid turned away by Leyton Orient as the Robins ramp up their interest in Dom Ballard.
The former Southampton man was in electric form for Richie Wellens’ side, with his 23-goal golden boot campaign in League One being the decisive factor in keeping the Brisbane Road club in the third tier.
Robins Target Star Forward
Interest was expected from clubs elsewhere this summer, with the O’s boss acknowledging that if a side were able to table an acceptable bid for Ballard, then it would be likely he leaves the club.
April saw a report from Alan Nixon that revealed that Orient would demand a fee similar to the £15 million Birmingham City paid to sign Jay Stansfield, and several clubs have been touted with a move.
Darren Witcoop revealed prior to the end of last season that Wrexham were targeting the 21-year-old talisman, and earlier this month West Ham United, Bristol City and Swansea City joined the chase.
Now, according to Nixon through his Patreon channel, Bristol City have pulled the trigger in the impending transfer war, having already submitted a bid and will be prepared to table a new, improved offer.
The Robins are under new leadership following the appointment of Lincoln City‘s Michael Skubala, and have already recruited from elsewhere in League One, securing Wigan Athletic’s Sam Tickle.
Striker has been a position of key interest for the Ashton Gate club, having also been linked with Huddersfield Town’s Joe Taylor earlier this month.
Early Shot Fired
Given his success for Leyton Orient in his first season away from Southampton, Dom Ballard was likely to be poached for a move to the Championship this summer.
Bristol City are a side that are seemingly hopeful to gamble on the top talent in League One, and with a manager who knows the league well in Michael Skubala, have now pressed their interest into an official bid.
While Emil Riis Jakobsen has been a solid signing, especially considering he was signed on a free transfer last summer, the remainder of the Robins’ forward options have been underwhelming, and for a club which will hope they can replicate their performance under Liam Manning two seasons ago, finding new options is imperative.
However, now the news has broke that City are pressing on and trying to beat their rivals to the punch, it will be interesting to see whether another side, like Swansea City should they lose Zan Vipotnik, will try and challenge them for Ballard’s services.
Leyton Orient will be handed a healthy payday regardless of the destination, but it would not be unexpected if they were to strike a deal for lower than their initial £15 million price tag.
