Nigel Pearson admits the door will never be closed for Joe Bryan to one day make a Bristol City return and he respects the former Robins defender for being honest over his reservations regarding a transfer this summer.
City were close to bringing Bryan back to Ashton Gate as his contract at Fulham expires and it’s understood that personal terms were initially agreed only for the 29-year-old to then contact both Pearson and technical director Brian Tinnion to inform them he was having second thoughts, which included a desire to play abroad having spent the last season on loan at Nice.
However, the Telegraph reported on Monday that Bryan is in talks with Championship rivals Millwall - one of the six clubs to have made him an offer at the end of last season - and could even undergo a medical later this week should negotiations progress.
City were disappointed not to be able to bring back the academy product, who made 230 appearances between 2012 and 2018 before moving to Craven Cottage, but speaking on the first day back of pre-season, Pearson accepts the circumstances changed to the point it wouldn’t have been feasible, on a number of levels.
“There was speculation about Joe coming in, and I spoke with him a number of times,” Pearson said. “My view on that one is actually, he was brave enough to talk about having some reservations. We here are trying to create a side which is driven by a real thirst and hunger - it’s important we don’t make mistakes in terms of bringing players in.
“Joe would have been a fabulous signing for us in many ways but only if it felt right. For him to verbalise that to me, I was very pleased. I said to him the door is never closed. It would have been an expensive signing for us, we can’t afford to have players in the building who question whether it’s exactly the right move for them. It was a disappointing one.”
Haydon Roberts has since been signed, effectively in Bryan’s place, with the 21-year-old joining on a free transfer from Brighton & Hove Albion but with the added bonus of being able to operate as a centre-back - where he specialised in his youth career - or as a left-sided full-back, where Derby predominantly used him during his loan in League One last term.
Roberts and new arrival Rob Dickie trained about their teammates for the first time at the High Performance Centre with Ross McCrorie given extra time off given the fact the Scottish Premier League season finished on the last weekend in May and he was part of the Scotland squad earlier this month.
“I think Haydon’s signing is a really exciting one,” Pearson added. “He’s had a very good season at Derby and is a promising player. It shows the fluidity of what the market windows look like in many ways. I’m very pleased to get him in and, of course, Dickie comes in with lots of experience, and that was one that came not out of the blue, but it was a deal that was able to be concluded pretty quickly, which is sometimes a surprise in these windows.
“I’m just pleased with all three of them, they bring us some quality, some balance as well, and options. We’ll see what the rest of the window has in store for us. It’s really just about adding to what we have.
"We need to try and make ourselves better when we add to the squad. It’s the whole idea of trying to shape squads. I’m pleased we’ve been able to get some early business done because that gives everybody a shot in the arm too.”
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