Long-term Bristol City transfer target Alex Pritchard may not end up at Ashton Gate next season, despite being a free agent following his departure from Huddersfield Town.

And that is because according to Bristol Post manager it is unclear as to whether Nigel Pearson fancies the attacking midfielder after signing a long-term deal.

Pritchard has not had the best couple of seasons in Yorkshire, having originally joined the Terriers in January 2018 from Norwich City for around £11 million.

The 28-year-old played 30 times in their final Premier League campaign in 2018-19 but since relegation to the Championship, Pritchard has made just 34 Championship appearances in two seasons without scoring a goal.

With a record like that it's perhaps puzzling to see him linked with clubs who finished above Huddersfield this season, but according to the Bristol Post, the recruitment team at the club have been long-time admirers of Pritchard and City were even offered him in January for a small fee.

The final decision this summer though will likely come down to Pearson, but it's not clear yet as to whether he will take the recruitment team's position on Pritchard but it's an area of the pitch that needs to be strengthened if the likes of Liam Walsh and Jamie Paterson are not signing new contracts.

 

 

 

 

The Verdict

There's definitely a lot of risks attached to signing Pritchard due to his injury record, but if the wages are right for the club then it may just be worth a punt for Nigel Pearson.

The recruitment team seem to be really high on Pritchard despite his barren two years, but Pearson may now get a bigger say in what transfers happen at the club now with the departure of CEO Mark Ashton due to happen in the next couple of weeks.

If Pearson's stance remains unclear though then another team could swoop in to take Pritchard, and a fresh start for the former Tottenham man could be the thing to revitalise his career in the Championship.