Bristol City see bid rejected for AFC Wimbledon star as Huddersfield and Sunderland also interested

Bristol City have seen an opening bid of just over £1m rejected by Wimbledon for one of their star players
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Bristol City and two of their league rivals have reportedly had an offer turned down by AFC Wimbledon for midfielder Jack Rudoni.

The Robins have already brought in three new players for the first-team; Mark Sykes, Kal Naismith and Kane Wilson; this transfer window and are now looking at their next targets.

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Two of the three new additions have come from the lower divisions on a free transfer and so Rudoni would fit the bill of young and hungry players that Nigel Pearson is looking for but would come at a price.

A report from The Sun says that City and their Championship rivals Huddersfield Town and Sunderland have both submitted bids of £1m plus add-ons, which have all been turned down.

The Dons value the player at a higher price given his age and his influence to the team after winning the Player of the Year award, in the midst of being relegated to League Two after finishing second from bottom.

Rudoni got 12 goals and five assists in 41 games for Wimbledon last season, which had him as one of the most creative players in the division.

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The 21-year-old came through their academy after joining in 2011 from Crystal Palace and has gone on to make over 100 appearances since making his professional debut in 2019. His first professional goal in fact came against a Bristol club, scoring against inter-city rivals Bristol Rovers in 2021

Their manager Johnnie Jackson, who was in charge of Charlton Athletic last season, is keen to keep key members of his squad available so they can return to League One at the first time of asking.

Should any club match their valuation which is expected to be slightly higher then it could be reinvested into the squad, but the London club are keen to keep hold of him.

A centre midfielder is the next position that City would need to strengthen after recruiting a right wing-back, a centre-back and a utility man midfielder.

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City are still waiting to see whether Andy King will sign a new contract as a player-coach. There had been talk that he could join former Wales teammate David Edwards at Cymru Premier outfit Bala Town but that rumour was swiftly rejected.

Academy graduate Ayman Benarous meanwhile will spend a considerable amount of time on the sidelines after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

Matty James and Joe Williams remain contracted to the club whilst another midfielder may need to be recruited whilst Alex Scott spends his time away on international duty with the England Under-19’s squad, which is made up mainly of Premier League academy players.

As well as three additions to the senior team, City also signed Ewan Clark from National League South outfit Oxford City for a five-figure fee. The 19-year-old is predominantly a right winger but Nigel Pearson tends to play with wing-backs rather than out-and-out wingers, so he could be converted.

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There is also talk of a possible departure from Ashton Gate with there being a host of clubs interested in their development midfielder Reuben McAllister.

Aston Villa are reportedly interested in the midfielder, as are Newcastle United and Old Firm duo Celtic and Rangers. McAllister is the son of former Scotland international Jamie McAllister, who is now assisting Lee Johnson at Hibernian.

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