Bristol City’s Championship rivals eye up Rovers talent as Luton Town close to signing ex-Bundesliga star

Bristol City are preparing for their upcoming fixture against Swansea this weekend and will continue searching for a much needed win. The Robins have won just two matches in their past nine league games and it looks like their troubles are set to continue with Nigel Pearson confirming two players have been suffering with an illness.

Speaking to the in-house media, it was revealed both Tomas Kalas and Kal Naismith will miss the upcoming fixture against the Welsh outfit. Pearson said: “The three players who have been ill this week have been back in today and done some training but it’s too early to make a call on them so we’ll see how it looks. I won’t say (who they are) because we talk about injuries but we’ve had players who are starters for us who have not trained because they’ve been ill.”

As Pearson continues to look for options to help fill the apparent gaps in his squad, here are all the latest rumours from Bristol City and their Championship rivals…

Bristol City rivals eye up Rovers talent

Bristol City’s rivals Preston North End are eyeing up talent throughout the leagues ahead of the January transfer window. The Lilywhites chief Ryan Lowe was spotted by the Sky Sports cameras at Sheffield Wednesday’s match on Wednesday night and he later stated he wanted to see potential new signings in the flesh.

Speaking to LancsLive, Lowe revealed he had been to see City’s local rivals in action too: “I went to watch Bolton against Burton on Tuesday night and I went to watch Sheffield Wednesday versus Bristol Rovers last night, because I think it’s important to keep your eyes on players - whether they become available or potential loans can be called back in January.”

Luton close to signing ex-Premier League star

Nathan Jones has admitted he is soon to make a decision about whether to sign Michael Hector and has announced it will come before the next international break. Hector was released by Fulham earlier this year and is currently in training at Kenilworth in an attempt to strike a deal with Jones.

Speaking to Luton Today, the Hatters boss said: “We’ve wanted to bring him in just to get a gauge of where he is and once we get that then we can maybe make a decision. But he’s definitely a player with a massive pedigree, Premier League and loads of Championship experience, so if we do decide to do something then it might be a calculated gamble.”

Hector, 30, has previously spent a lot of his career on loan, but has spent the past three years with Fulham. The centre-back as been part of the squad at Hull City, Reading, Sheffield Wednesday and European club Eintracht Frankfurt.

Cardiff manager in talks with club owners

Cardiff City’s interim manager Mark Hudson has said he is in talks with the club owner Vincent Tan about his long-term future. The former manager Steve Morison was sacked in September with Hudson leading the charge since then. According to BBC Sport, it is understood that the Welsh outfit are not actively seeking a permanent successor other than the former centre-back.

The 40-year-old won two and drew one in his first three games in charge but has since lost three successive matches.

Speaking following his side’s 2-0 win at Swansea, Hudson said: “The conversations are ongoing and, obviously from my point of view, I want to be here as long as I can to help.”

Blackpool braced for offers on £4m star

Bristol City’s championship rivals Blackpool are reportedly ready for offers to come in from Scottish Premiership side and last season’s Europa League runners-up Rangers come the January transfer window.

Sources have told Football Insider Jerry Yates has become a hot topic of conversation at Ibrox. The 25-year-old scored twice during Blackpool’s 4-2 win over Preston last weekend. taking his goal tally to eight so far this season.

Yates has been valued at around £4million with the price tag set to increase depending on how much his goal tally goes up. At the moment, he is on a contract set to run out in summer 2024 with an option to extend for a further year but Rangers are hoping to boost their striking options next summer with Yates looking an increasingly viable option.