Sam Bell's form with the Under-21s this season has become impossible to ignore.
While his academy strike partner Tommy Conway leads City's scoring charts this season with eight following a brilliant breakthrough campaign, Bell continues to quietly go about his business with Ali Hines' side.
On Monday afternoon, the young Robins hosted Newcastle at the High Performance Centre in the opening game of their Premier League Cup group. With City cruising at the summit of their Development League, the contest against the Toon promised to be a tougher test against a Category 1 academy side.
Not that it proved to be a problem as Bell inspired City to a dominant 4-0 victory with the 20-year-old showing his ruthless touch in front of goal with a superb hat-trick. His pace alongside Sam Pearson was unplayable and his finishing unstoppable.
His first goal of the afternoon, after defender Joe Low headed City in front, was brilliantly worked. A lump up the pitch had the Toon backline running towards their own goal when Bell brought it under control, and bided his time before playing an inch-perfect pass to feed Pearson.
Charging towards the keeper, Pearson could have gone for goal himself but instead squared the ball back to Bell who stuck it into an empty net. His second before half-time was a player who has the instincts of a striker who knows where to be at the right time when he fired in Pearson's deflected effort.
Then arrived the deserved hat-trick. Pearson the architect again as he played Bell through on goal to the right of the box. He still had plenty to do on the angle but his strike across goal nestled into the far corner.
It was the finish of a player full of confidence which comes as no surprise given his scoring record. That's now 10 goals in his last nine matches for the youth side.
"He will have to remain patient" were the words from Pearson last month when addressing Bell in a Thursday press conference. Although there was a nod to his form and recognition of his future in the first-team when he added: "He’s on fire at the minute.
"He’s had one of those starts to the first-team experience that’s not as positive as some other players have but he’s in a really good place now, his game’s developed enormously."
Bell isn't the finished product but he has all the hallmarks of a player who can score goals for fun with more experience and when he develops physically. He is slowly inching his way back into first-team contention having been out of the squad for the first 17 league matches.
He was introduced for 17 minutes in the 1-1 draw with Swansea at the end of last month, earned a further 15 minutes against Middlesbrough and made the bench in the draw at Watford. Pearson's right, there's no need to rush him into the starting XI, with arguably five forwards ahead of him in the manager's plans.
Andi Weimann, Antoine Semenyo, Conway, Nahki Wells and Chris Martin have all been rotated in an attempt to get City firing on all cylinders. Having emerged as the league's top scorers up until the middle of September, putting the ball in the back of the net has become a rare conundrum with nine goals in the last 10 league matches.
That competition for places meant Bell became a square peg in a round hole last season. Three of his four league appearances came at right wing-back including the difficult 45 minutes at home to Birmingham when he was replaced at half-time.
Bell might not be the answer to the lack of goals just yet, although Conway's rapid progression may argue against that fact, but it might not be long before he's called upon regularly. That could depend on what happens with Semenyo's future past January.
It's no secret that City need to sell before bringing in new faces, Pearson has made that abundantly clear. He'll have to weigh up the risk vs reward factor of cashing in one of the key assets to allow him to bolster a defence that continues to hamper City's progress.
If it doesn't happen in January, selling Semenyo in the summer is inevitable to avoid losing him for mere compensation 12 months later. His current contract expires at the end of this season but the club have a one-year option on his deal which they'll undoubtedly trigger.
Bell's form could make that decision a little easier to make if they have a ready-made replacement ready to step in. They will be big boots to fill but with the financial position City find itself in, tough decisions will have to be made.
Add in the factor that Martin and Wells' deals are expiring at the end of the season. Due to the former's lack of game time and the latter's high wage, there's every opportunity City could be heading into the beginning of next season without three of their current five senior forwards.
Bell's new contract in the summer which will keep him at the club until 2025 is a reflection of the faith City have in his potential. There's going to be a change of the guard in attack in the near future and the striker is going to benefit from that.
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