Fulham manager Marco Silva has indicated that Joe Bryan isn’t part of plans for the Premier League season with the former Bristol City left-back set for a loan move as he enters the final year of his contract at Craven Cottage.
Bryan hasn’t made either of Fulham’s matchday squads for their two Premier League games so far, and is set to miss out once again when they play Brentford today.
A broken hand disrupted his pre-season but Silva revealed this week that his omission since early August has been due to “technical reasons” and not because of injury and West London Sport report that with the transfer window closing on September 1, he’ll be allowed to leave on loan.
“He broke his hand but the last few decisions from myself have been for technical reasons,” Silva said. “Joe knows everything that has happened, I was clear with him from the first day back (in pre-season), so let’s just see what will happen this month.”
Bryan left Bristol City for west London in 2018, after making 230 appearances for his boyhood club having come through the academy and making his debut as an 18-year-old in 2012. He has always been a regular for the Cottagers in the Championship but struggled to secure sustained minutes in the Premier League, outside of his debut season.
Last term, under Silva, he made just seven starts, losing his place to Antonee Robinson and the situation doesn’t look like improving. Bryan’s availability will surely be attractive to a number of Championship teams as he is unquestionably a high-end left-back or left wing-back at that level, with two promotions now on his CV.
Bristol City appear reasonably well-stocked in that area with Jay Dasilva, Cam Pring and Ryley Towler emerging as a first-team option, albeit with Nigel Pearson’s preference for the 20-year-old to specialise at centre-back.
However, while Dasilva is now first-choice, Pring has been left out of three matchday squads this term, despite being fit, and while Pearson has needs elsewhere on the field - in central midfield and central defence - Bryan could be a consideration.
His family remain based in Bristol, although the 28-year-old hasn’t received the warmest of receptions when he and now-Fulham teammate Bobby Reid have returned to Ashton Gate down the years.
Not that it would, of course, influence Pearson’s decision-making should he feel Bryan was a realistic target, although the player’s relatively high wages - having signed a new contract in 2020 after scoring the play-off final - and Fulham’s request for the loaning club to make a reasonable contribution could further complicate matters for certain Championship sides.
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