Newcastle United have already started to feel the animosity of the Premier League once again after their promotion from the Championship, as their first league game this season proved to be a forgettable one. The Magpies lost 0-2 and were outclassed by Tottenham Hotspur at St. James’ Park last weekend and to worsen the scenario for them, defenders Paul Dummett and Florian Lejeune have been ruled out for a number of weeks due to the injury they sustained during the game.
As a reactive measure to Dummett’s injury, Benitez has started to look for a replacement and is apparently pursuing Bristol City’s left-back, Joe Bryan. However, the Robins are adamant to keep hold of Bryan, who was unarguably one of the most consistent performers for them in the English second division last term. Further, a price tag of £10million has been slapped on his collar, which implies that any club which aspires to lure him away from Ashton Gate Stadium will have to lighten their wallet considerably.
Nonetheless, the Toon have targeted a decent player who is versatile enough to play from the left flank as well as in the middle of the park, apart from his natural left-back slot. Having emerged through the youth ranks of Bristol City, the 23-year-old has gone on to cement his stature in their senior side and has garnered plenty of experience under his belt. He is a modern-day fullback who has the requisite energy to toil up and down the pitch and his strong physical presence also helps him excel as a player.
The Englishman dribbles well, is shrewd with his tackles and interceptions and doesn’t refrain from getting into the tight areas. He creates adequate chances for his teammates and is thus, an all-round defender whose stature has grown significantly over the course of his career. Bryan reads the game well and has shown immense maturity and calmness and no wonder his stocks have seen an upward trajectory for quite some time now.
Although Bristol City’s manager Lee Johnson is apparently against the view of striking him off his books if the Geordies should actually tempt his resolve with an audacious bid. Besides, the player might even personally want to ply his trade in the Premier League and it would certainly be a forward stride in his career if his move to the ranks of the former Napoli manager eventually materializes.
