Bristol City defender Ryley Towler has joined AFC Wimbledon on loan in what was the only piece of business the Robins engage in on transfer deadline day.
Towler has moved to the League Two club until the end of the season, with City holding a January recall option, providing him with the opportunity to earn some valuable minutes in league football.
The 20-year-old's experience so far outside of the City youth set-up has been half a season with Grimsby Town in the National League and earlier loans with Taunton Town and Frome Town in the Southern League.
Towler has essentially outgrown the Under-21 set-up, where he is consistently one of City’s premier performers, but his path to the first-team looks a challenging one until he earns greater senior exposure.
With Kal Naismith, Rob Atkinson, Zak Vyner, Timm Klose and, when fit again, Tomas Kalas, ahead of him in the centre-back hierarchy, Towler faces a season in the Under-21s, with maybe a few sporadic cup appearances. A loan to Plough Lane therefore makes a lot of sense for City where he’ll be working under Johnnie Jackson.
The Dons have made a mixed start to life in League Two following their relegation from League One last season, with two wins, two draws and two defeats from their opening six games, lying 12th in the table. But former Tottenham Hotspur and Charlton Athletic midfielder Jackson tends to play with three at the back, with Towler ideally suited to the left-sided centre-back role.
Towler has played sporadically in the Championship for City, after making his debut under Dean Holden during the 2019/20 campaign but a run of games lower down the pyramid should further his development.
He is among a crop of talented young centre-backs in the City academy alongside Duncan Idehen, who has joined Carlisle United on loan, Joe Low, Jamie Knight-Lebel and Raphael Araoye.
His exit is a slightly curious one in the case of squad depth as with Kalas and Klose currently out with knee injuries, although the latter’s isn’t thought to be serious, Nigel Pearson only has three fit senior centre-backs.
That leaves the Robins one injury or suspension away from being unable to field a recognised back three although that could be mitigated by the fact that both full-backs George Tanner and Cam Pring have lined up in the middle of defence this year.
There is also the prospect of veteran Sol Bamba signing on a short-term deal having been training with City since mid-August following his release at Middlesbrough.
The 37-year-old played for the Under-21s alongside Towler in their midweek 0-0 draw against Birmingham City and didn’t look particularly convincing, meaning Pearson may want to take a longer look at the former Cardiff defender before making a decision.
That being said, if Bamba’s purpose is simply to provide bench cover to the recognised five first-team centre-backs, just having him in the building as an emergency option could make some sense given he will be expected to make minimal starts. A situation that suits a veteran player, more so than Towler.
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