On Sunday afternoon a muttering around social media seemed to claim Tottenham Hotspur had made a breakthrough in an attempt to sign Alex Scott.
Granted, it was a couple of so-called fan social media accounts that claim they are 'in the know'. Even so, it was speculation that was worth keeping one close eye on and considering Spurs' links with Bristol City's wonderkid in the past, understandably it would cause even the smallest cause for concern that Antonio Conte had stepped up their chase for the 18-year-old.
After all, it was only last month that reports came from Football Insider that Tottenham had completed a 'dossier' on Scott with background checks being concluded on the player.
Former Huddersfield Town head of recruitment and scout David Webb then went a step further during a chat with The Athletic on Sunday by suggesting Leeds United were another club who were paying close attention to the midfielder.
His quotes were: "People recognise that he’s a player on the rise. Leeds have been looking at him. Tottenham, too. But if he is going to leave, then he surely has to move somewhere he’ll be able to come in and play.
“It might be to his advantage to be at a good developing club — a Brighton, Southampton, Fulham or Bournemouth — where he’ll be integrated into the first-team set-up through training and, initially, substitute appearances, and stand a chance of gaining some regular involvement once fully engrained. He might be lost in a bigger club’s under-23s set-up.”
If Scott hadn't come out and spoken of his immediate future during his brilliant press conference towards the end of last season where he was asked about his growing stature in the game and transfer interest surrounding him, then supporters may feel a lot less confident in keeping him among the ranks.
That final comment by Webb rings true and one that stuck out during Scott's interview when he acknowledged there was no better place for his development than playing regular matches under Nigel Pearson.
Not even he would have predicted that he would make 38 league appearances across the season at the beginning of last campaign. Scott had set himself a target of featuring in 10 but his rapid development and the necessity to utilise him in an unfavoured wing-back position, proving he was the only one performing the task on a consistent basis, was paramount and will undoubtedly stand him in even better stead heading into the new season.
Scott's form tailed off towards the end of the season in which he proved his maturity by highlighting it to the press. Most likely down to the number of matches he played and the pressures that come with playing week-in-week-out. He's still developing both physically and mentally.
According to WhoScored, 18 of his 38 appearances last season came in his favoured central midfield role, including five in an advanced No10 position - a role which is generally considered the most suitable for his attributes.
The majority came as a wing-back, filling in as a short-term solution to a longer-term problem until Pearson was able to finally address the growing issue once the final ball was kicked in the final day defeat at Huddersfield.
Last Friday, Kane Wilson was announced on the roof of Ashton Gate - a welcome relief to sign a player who can make that wing-back spot his own following his brilliant award-winning season in Forest Green's promotion bid.
No more seeing the Sam Bell experiment take place, and that's no disrespect to Bell who is the future of the club in attack alongside Tommy Conway. But unsurprisingly it was never going to work.
No more sacrificing Andi Weimann's attacking threat by putting him back there although the winner away at Blackburn when he surged late into the box to volley home Joe Williams' sliced shot will remain one of the few highlights of last season.
And with George Tanner back fit with a solid pre-season under his belt, the pair are likely to tussle and alternate for that wing-back shirt throughout the campaign, hopefully motivating themselves to progress their games.
So where does that leave Scott heading into the new season, assuming he remains a Robin when the transfer window shuts on the first day of September?
Well, the obvious suggestion would be to move him back into his favoured centre midfield position but it may not be quite as easy as that. Pearson is a big fan of Joe Williams and Matty James partnership with the duo offering that extra defensive grit in front of the back line.
We had to wait until two-thirds of the season to see them in action together and despite appearing like strangers in the first couple of matches, they seemed to have evolved and played their part in City's semi-decent form that saw them lose one of their final six matches of the season - the defeat in which Williams was forced to miss out with an Achilles issue.
Williams' fitness will prove to be a big test next season having endured a string of hamstring issues and his games will have to be managed carefully meaning rotation is likely to be key, especially in midweek matches.
As it stands and the way City's squad is shaping up, particularly with Wilson and Kal Naismith's arrivals, Pearson is likely to stick with the 3-4-1-2 formation despite his early reluctance to play three at the back. The attacking threat of Andi Weimann, Antoine Semenyo and Chris Martin playing a notable part in that thought process.
Which means sticking with two central midfielders. At the moment, Williams, James and Scott are the trio competing for the starting positions. Han-Noah Massengo would also be included in that but it's likely he'll leave ahead of the new season.
Andy King also remains in the frame but has yet to sign a new contract and even if he does, is likely to be a bit-part player while juggling his time with coaching the next generation of talent coming through.
It is no secret that a new defensive midfielder is firmly at the top of the shortlist with Reading's Andy Rinomhota the principal target on a free transfer as he prepares the leave the Royals. A decision on his future is expected to be made in the coming weeks and should he reject Stoke in favour of the Robins, that's another important area of the field addressed.
So that'd be four names competing in two positions and that's without mentioning Mark Sykes who may have to fight for his place in the side. As a natural ring winger, he has also played in the centre in a similar position to where Weimann and Scott would like to see themselves.
Every manager likes to have a welcome selection dilemma on their hands and the added competition for places will certainly benefit City over a long and brutal season with congested fixtures due to the winter break for the World Cup.
How Pearson sees Scott's role in the side next season remains to be seen and whether he plays a similar number of matches and starts this time around will also become a lot clearer 10 games into the season. It's also worth reminding ourselves that Scott won't have had much of a summer break as he represents his country at the Under-19 Euro Championships in four days' time.
Of course, Scott will have a big part to play next season, but Pearson will need to do his fair share of juggling in the midfield with his options available. Perhaps even the fact that he isn't a shoo-in to be named in the starting XI is a testament to the strength in depth the manager is putting together.
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