Bristol City are pressing ahead with their interest in Leyton Orient‘s Dom Ballard despite tabling an opening bid for Lorent Tolaj.
A striker has been high on Michael Skubala’s shopping list at Ashton Gate since his arrival in May, and after fleeting interest in Joe Taylor, he has seemingly landed on two other League One strikers to lead his line alongside Emil Riis Jakobsen.
Ballard Pursuit Continues
Now, according to reports in the Daily Mail’s transfer blog, both Lorent Tolaj and Dom Ballard are being considered by Bristol City, with the Robins finally tabling a bid for the Plymouth Argyle man.
Tolaj has been of interest to several clubs heading into the summer, with Preston North End a known suitor should they choose to sell Milutin Osimajic alongside Celtic and Rangers.
City have tabled a £4 million bid to Tom Cleverley’s side over the Swiss forward, who only joined the club for £1.2 million from Port Vale twelve months ago, and are hopeful to wrap up a deal quickly.
The Pilgrims’ boss has previously been steadfast when addressing rumours of Tolaj’s exit, and club CEO Paul Berne has stated in an interview with Plymouth Live that they are not planning on selling anyone this window.
Furthermore, Skubala’s side are still engaged in talks with Leyton Orient over Dom Ballard, who has similarly been a man in demand across the second tier after sealing the League One Golden Boot last season.
The Robins’ interest in the former Southampton man has stretched back weeks, with Football League World reporting that they would need to cough up around £5 million to secure his signing following an initial £2.5 million bid as revealed by Pete O’Rourke.
Previous reports from Alan Nixon stated that Orient would command a fee similar to the £15 million fee Birmingham City splashed out for Jay Stansfield following his spell on loan at Exeter City.
A Ballard sale would mark a second record-breaking sale in as many summers for the Brisbane Road club after receiving £1.5 million for Ethan Galbraith to join Swansea City, and have since picked up a further windfall after his move to Stoke City.
Is A Double Move Wise?
Since his appointment, Michael Skubala has been handed a sizable war chest to try and lift Bristol City back up, and once again has returned to try and poach some of the best talent in League One, the division he conquered with Lincoln City.
Having already sealed the signing of Sam Tickle from Wigan Athletic, attention has now turned to revitalising their striking department and finding some new options to play alongside Emil Riis Jakobsen.
Both Lorent Tolaj and Dom Ballard are certainly deserving of a chance at regular Championship action, but whether the outlay they will have to spend on both Lorent Tolaj and Dom Ballard is worth it remains to be seen.
Given their latest bid for the former, the Robins will have to spend a total of at least £9 million to secure the duo, which may be too much considering their needs in other positions.
Picking just one to focus on fully is likely the better choice, and testing which one they have the most luck in negotiations with will be the decisive factor in choosing which path to go down.
Both have their benefits, which could propel City back into the expanded playoffs come May, but given his statistics for shots on target and xG generated, Tolaj should be the man who is the number one priority.
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Bristol still trying to get Ballard on the cheap