Birmingham City still want Bristol City midfielder as Leeds United enter race for teenage star

Birmingham City have continued their interest in signing Bristol City midfielder Kasey Palmer this summer, it has been said.

Palmer has rarely featured for the Robins this season, but that has not deterred City’s Championship rivals from maintaining an interest in him.

The 25-year-old has made just six league appearances this season and has not been seen for the senior team since January in a cameo appearance against Fulham in the FA Cup.

The creative midfielder was linked with a deadline day move to Severnside rivals Cardiff City along with Nahki Wells, but the City transfer committee rebuffed their approaches.

Palmer remains contracted to the club and has one year left on his current contract, but given his status in the first-team this year, he may be moved on to allow movement in the transfer window.

“Kasey has had a frustrating season from different perspectives,” said Nigel Pearson a fortnight ago when asked if he would play for City again this year.

“Either being not selected or being unavailable because he has been injured.

“It’s part of being a professional footballer and he has to find his own way of dealing with that scenario. “It is good to have him back out on the pitch, doing some modified training, which he has been doing and he seems to be in a pretty positive mood too so that is good.”

A report from the print edition of the Sunday People though says that St Andrew’s can remain a destination for Palmer to go should he wish to depart the club this summer.

This was a follow up to what BristolWorld brought you in January where Birmingham, Reading and Huddersfield Town were credited with interest in the player.

A swap deal had been mooted with Harlee Dean suggested as perhaps a makeweight in the deal, but he ended up joining Sheffield Wednesday.

Pearson has spoken publicly about how the club may consider swap deals as a way to move in the transfer market this summer, given the uncertainty of how clubs will approach the summer transfer window.

As well as Palmer, there has also been interest touted in City’s teenage sensation Alex Scott with a new club reportedly entering the race to sign the 18-year-old.

A report from the Daily Mirror says that Leeds United have joined the race to sign the midfielder and will compete with Tottenham Hotspur to secure his services.

Both clubs reportedly had scouts at the bet365 Stadium on Good Friday as they took in Scott's display in defence in the 1-0 win over the Potters.

Scott has made 36 appearances this season in the Championship and has got four goals and two assists whilst alternating between a wing-back and a midfielder.

There is security on his contract as he is contracted to the club until 2025 and can be seen as one of their prized assets, given his age and his obvious ability to hold his own in the second tier.

And Pearson has not entertained the idea of one of his key players departing in the summer, and has put praise in to hope he has coped with men’s professional football in his first full season.

“For an 18-year-old who now has, I think 32 starts this season, that is quite an illustration of how highly we rate him at the club,” he said.

“Even if he hasn’t been at his best he has still been effective during games and this is where it’s really important to recognise the difference between his best and worst performance probably is a bit closer than some other players who have had a bit more of a rollercoaster.

“He's had a very impressive introduction to the Championship if you like in his first full season and so, one of the important things will be to again manage expectations next season.”