Bristol City are said to be eyeing a move for Oxford United centre back Robert Atkinson, with Football Insider reporting that the Robins have set their sights on the 22-year-old following the U's exit from the League One play-offs. 

Atkinson has been in fine form for the third tier outfit this season, making 43 appearances for Karl Robinson's side across all competitions as they were beaten by Blackpool over two legs.

The young defender only joined the club back in January 2020 and has since gone on to establish himself as a first team regular at the Kassam Stadium after spending time out on loan at his former club Eastleigh.

It appears that the Robins are keen to strengthen their backline after finishing way short of expectations in the Championship this term and many would say that the 22-year-old fits the bill for what Nigel Pearson will be looking for in the market this summer.

A former Fulham youth player, Atkinson currently has two years remaining on his current contract with Oxford and could command a sizeable fee.

The Verdict 

Signing Atkinson this summer would be a step in the right direction for the Robins and I think he would be an addition that could make a lot of difference for them along the backline.

One things for sure, he won't come cheap and with Oxford being unlikely to want to sell one of their prized assets, Bristol City may well have to pay over the odds to get the young defender.

He's left footed, which is a rarity for centre backs at Football League level and for that reason he would add more balance to the current City backline.

Given his age and experience that he already has under his belt, Pearson would be bringing in a talented young player who would in theory have really good sell on value further down the line to boot.