Exclusive: Bristol City take a close look at former Cardiff City and Middlesbrough centre-back

Bristol City manager Nigel Pearson is currently looking at another centre-back option with the Robins carrying several knocks in their back line.

BristolWorld understands that former Cardiff City centre-back Sol Bamba is currently training with the West Country outfit.

Bamba joined up with former boss Neil Warnock at Middlesbrough last summer and made 29 appearances for the North East club during the last campaign.

That included scoring the last penalty in a famous shoot-out win over Manchester United in the FA Cup, however the 37-year-old was released at the Riverside Stadium at the end of the season.

Bamba has 46 caps for the Ivory Coast and would add more experience to the Robins backline, should he impress enough to earn a deal at Ashton Gate.

Pearson has several problems in defence: Tomas Kalas has yet to return from injury after surgery earlier in the summer and a subsequent unspecified problem.

And Rob Atkinson had to withdraw against Wigan in the second half after a possible knee injury.

The South West side are already without Nathan Baker for most likely the entirety of the 2022/23 campaign, with his manager explaining earlier in the summer that the former Villa defender is unlikely to play this season after problems following two concussions last season.

With City conceding six goals in three games and with their defensive problems last season (only two sides conceded more), reinforcements are needed. Bamba could provide a short-term solution.

A Cardiff hero, the 6ft3’ centre-back, born in Ivry-sur-Seine, France, is worth examining - and he could be another shrewd pickup in the manner that Timm Klose arrived last January before signing a deal to the summer, and another year-long contract again at the end of the campaign.

Bamba started his career in his native France with Paris Saint-Germain, but failed to establish himself in their first team and soon moved on.

He switched to Scotland to join Dunfermline Athletic in 2006, before two years later he was transferred to Hibernian. He joined Leicester City in January 2011.

After a spell at Leeds United he spent five years at Cardiff City, the time which he is arguably best known for.

If he was to sign a contract, Bamba would rejoin his manager of 2011 at Leicester City. Perhaps what is not in Bamba’s favour, in terms of playing on for longer in BS3, is that Pearson shipped out the player to Turkish Super Lig outfit Trabzonspor in June 2012.