Chelsea consider Brighton defender which could give Bristol City major cash boost

Bristol City could receive a welcomed cash windfall if Chelsea’s pursuit of Adam Webster from Brighton & Hove Albion is successful.

The Robins haven’t got much room to manoeuvre in the transfer market as it stands with no money available at Nigel Pearson’s disposal.

A major sale of one of their star players could change things but at the late stage of the window, the preference would be to hold on to their prized assets and build on what is a young but talented squad.

Money could come at Ashton Gate in a different way however with one of their former players potentially helping them out if speculation turns into interest and later a transfer.

Chelsea - who suffered a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Leeds United - are on the search for a new centre-back but may have hit a roadblock in their pursuit of Leicester City defender Wesley Fofana. The Foxes are holding out for more than £80m for the French defender, however he sat out of the loss to Southampton on the weekend.

The Daily Mail now reports that Thomas Tuchel’s men are looking at other transfer targets with Webster a potential target. Webster departed Bristol City back in 2019 after stating his desire to leave and that saw them pocket £20m, which is a club record for a fee received for a player.

As well as the fee they pocketed, there were add-ons and sell-on-clauses to the deal which should any transfer take place would see City take at least some money of any prospective move to Stamford Bridge.

In February when Chelsea’s original interest was reported in the defender, the Bristol Post reported that the sell-on-fee could range between 10 and 20 percent which would be a handsome income.

Webster is contracted to the Seagulls until the summer of 2026 and so the Sussex side are able to hold out in any transfer negotiations, though he would come at a cheaper price than what Leicester want for Fofana.

In regards to what City do in the transfer window, it could be a case of more of their Under-21 players finding loan clubs in a bid to aid their development but it is quiet on any news of incomings.

Duncan Idehen was last week sent out on loan to one of Pearson’s former clubs Carlisle United to work with Paul Simpson, who was on the coaching staff last season.

Former Cardiff City and Leeds United defender Sol Bamba is training at the High Performance Centre, however this is something that Pearson has done before in offering his former players a chance to keep fit.

Bamba, who is yet to pen a deal with any club after rejecting a player-coach role at Swindon Town this summer, was a pundit for Sky Sports in City’s Severnside Derby victory over Cardiff City on Sunday afternoon.