As per one of the reports by the Bristol Post earlier this month, West Bromwich Albion were interested in luring Bristol City defender, Aden Flint, to the Hawthorns as a potential replacement for Jonny Evans. Evans has been a subject of interest from Manchester City and Arsenal and thus, the Baggies were monitoring Flint for the worst case scenario.
However, it has been reported by the Bristol Post lately that Alan Pardew’s side are no longer desirous of a big money move involving Flint and are apparently looking for low-cost additions such as Ali Gabr. The Robins have slapped a price tag of £12million on the collar of their 28-year-old and have no plans to let their key players leave after garnering a strong season so far.
Flint is arguably one of the finest defenders in the Championship and there is no denying it. He has a towering and daunting presence and possesses exceptional defending skills which make him an appealing commodity for any top quality side. He is a resilient central defender, is superb in the air and is someone who reads the game well.
He takes pro-active measures to destroy the attacking endeavours of the opposition and owing to the experience of English football that he has accumulated, he is seen as a leader on the pitch by his teammates. Besides, he belongs to the brand of defenders who love to gallop forward on plenty of occasions and his height gives him an added edge in the opposition box during the set-pieces.
So far this season in the Championship, the Englishman has been handed 24 appearances during which he has mustered 0.6 tackles, 1.2 interceptions, 6.2 clearances and 1 block per game on an average. Besides, he has smashed 6 goals and also has 1 assist to his name, showing his inclination to find the back of the net and no wonder he was said to be on the radar of the Albion.
Ever since his move to the Ashton Gate Stadium from Swindon Town in the summer of 2013, he has bailed his employers out of trouble on innumerable occasions. Lee Johnson’s side are very much in the contention to pave their way to the Premier League. Given that Flint is one of the instrumental players in their ranks, they should leave no stone unturned to keep him at their disposal by hook or by crook.
Stats Courtesy: Whoscored
