Bristol City are interested in bringing Joe Bryan back to Ashton Gate, five years after he was sold to Fulham, but face competition from a host of Championship rivals all eager to sign the full-back on a free transfer this summer.
Message boards and social media have been ablaze with rumours over the last week concerning the potential of Bryan’s return to his hometown this summer, and Bristol Live understands the 29-year-old is a target for the Robins as his contract expires at Craven Cottage.
Bryan has spent this season on loan in Ligue 1 with Nice but has experienced a frustrating campaign of precious first-team football making just 10 appearances.
City, Blackburn Rovers, Millwall, Stoke City and South Wales rivals Swansea City and Cardiff City have all declared an interest in signing Bryan, but the emotional pull of the Robins coupled with the sense of forward momentum at the club under Nigel Pearson has them in a strong position regarding negotiations.
Bristol-born Bryan emerged through the ranks at City making 230 appearances before his sale in the summer of 2018 to Fulham. He’s played 119 games for the Cottagers over four seasons in the Premier League and Championship, and most notably scored a brace in the 2020 play-off final, but since Marco Silva was appointed in 2021 has found his opportunities becoming increasingly irregular leading to his loan move to the south of France.
With his contract in west London reaching its end, and a reputation as an elite Championship-level left-back, he’s among the most sought-after free agents in the second tier, with Bryan’s desire in his late 20s to simply play as much football as is possible. Wages are a potential stumbling block but equally there is also an acceptance that the right club and environment is more important.
Bryan’s family remain based in Bristol and the defender’s Twitter account has highlighted the affection he still holds for the club. A post from the club in February with the caption, “Bristol-born, Bristol-bred” received a heart emoji, while he noted on a highlights reel published in September by a fan of his best moments from the 2017/18 campaign that it produced, “some of my best footballing memories that season!”
From City’s perspective, signing a left-back didn’t appear to be among Pearson’s immediate priorities with central defence and midfield obvious areas of need, while the Robins are expected to re-enter the market for AFC Wimbledon’s Jack Currie.
But with Cam Pring’s versatility and the increasing confidence he can be classified as a centre-back along with his specialist position on the left-hand side of defence, adding Bryan would open up a number of possibilities in terms of systems. Currie would therefore be a longer-term project should City be in a position to sign both.
With Currie and Bryan on the shortlist, it seemingly all-but confirms that Jay Dasilva’s time in the West Country is coming to an end with the 25-year-old out of contract in June.
Dasilva has proven to be a regular first-team player under Pearson, having initially lost his place in the squad through the first half of last season, making 38 appearances in 2022/23 with 31 as a starter.
But with his contract signed in 2019 coming to a close, it seems there is a mutual acceptance that it’s best for all parties that the former Chelsea academy player moves on, with Coventry City his anticipated next destination; something that could become complicated if the Sky Blues seal promotion via the play-offs.
CEO Phil Alexander admitted in a BBC Radio Bristol interview on Monday that a few “legacy contracts” from the largesse of four years ago were still on the books, and that after this next transfer window they would no longer be on the balance sheet.
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