Bristol City blow as EPL side shuts down offers on major target, 4 Championship sides want free agent defender

Recruitment talks are ongoing for Bristol City as they look to add more new options to their current squad. Last season’s Championship run saw them finish in 14th place, just outside of the top half, so focus will be on strenghtening to improve on that next campaign.

Potential departures also hang in the balance for the Robins and of course, their league rivals are also making serious moves on the transfer market. Here are some of the latest updates from around the Championship.

Club expected to reject all offers for Robins target

Bristol City have been handed a blow in their pursuit of Jake O’Brien after it has been reported that Crystal Palace are expected to reject all immediate offers to sign him this summer. That’s according to Bristol Live, who say that despite the widespread intrerest in the Eagles defender, the club are holding onto him to assess him during pre-season.

O’Brien spent the last season out on loan at Belgium outfit RWD Molenbeek and currently has just one year left on his contract at Selhurst Park. His priority is to seek out regular minutes and although Palace want to keep him on the books for now, it’s unlikely he will be given consistent starts in the Premier League.

Four Championship teams scrambling for free agent

Stoke City are going through a squad clearout and will bid farewell to Morgan Fox this summer once his contract expires. It hasn’t taken long for clubs to come swarming though as there are no less than four Championship reportedly registering their interest in the left-back.

According to Football League World, Birmingham City, Queens Park Rangers, Rotherham and Sunderland are all in the running for Fox after he reinstated himself as a Stoke regular once Alex Neil arrived at the club. He struggled for regular time on the pitch during the 2021/22 season, but played in all but one Championship match after Neil was appointed.