Bristol City are now prepared to meet the £1.6 million valuation that Oxford United have placed on defender Rob Atkinson this summer, according to The Sun on Sunday (20/06/21, p65).
It has been reported for a while now that Atkinson has been on the radar of Bristol City this summer, with the Robins aiming to bolster the quality of options that Nigel Pearson has available to him in the Championship next term.
That comes with the 22-year-old having enjoyed an impressive campaign with Oxford in League One last term.
In total, the defender made 41 appearances in which he scored two goals and helped the U's record 11 clean sheets in the process to help his side reach the play-off semi-finals.
According to the latest report from The Sun on Sunday (20/06/21, p65), Bristol City are now prepared to come in and meet Oxford’s £1.6 million valuation of Atkinson this summer.
The report adds that Pearson is going to be handed funds required to strengthen his side this summer by Bristol City’s hierarchy and that Atkinson himself is keen to make the step up to the Championship.
The Verdict
This is a very encouraging update for Bristol City and it suggests that the Robins are going to be able to potentially secure a move for Atkinson this summer. The 22-year-old would be something of a coup for the Robins if they can pull it off because he is an up and coming defender that has shown a lot of potential to be developed into an excellent player in future years.
Atkinson is exactly the right profile of player that Pearson needs to bring to the Robins if he is going to be able to take them to the next level in his tenure. The 22-year-old is a player that looks ready to make that step up to the Championship and you could see him going from strength to strength in the next few campaigns.
These are the moves that are vital for sides like Bristol City and if they can secure him ahead of Celtic then there will be room for optimism amongst supporters. That also comes from the update that Pearson is going to be backed financially this summer which is also massive for the club.