Bristol City‘s chase of priority transfer target Scott Twine has faced a fresh twist after uncertainty over where the midfielder might end up.
City are currently engaged in a battle with fellow Championship side Sunderland and League One newcomers Birmingham City over the Burnley midfielder’s services, according to The Sun.
Twine’s future at Turf Moor has been left in limbo following the departure of previous head coach Vincent Kompany to German giants Bayern Munich this summer. The 24-year-old still has two years left on his deal in Lancashire, signing a four-year deal in 2022 when he signed from Swindon Town.
Liam Manning’s side brought the midfielder to Ashton Gate in January, curtailing his initial loan to Hull City short to enable him to play centrally rather than on the wing. Despite an injury in his Robins debut, Twine scored twice across 10 league appearances since joining the club.
Their chances of securing the Wiltshire-born player have taken a boost according to Bristol Live after it was revealed that he was using the training facilities at Bristol City’s High-Performance Centre. The newspaper also noted that City were still engaged in talks with the Clarets for a deal.
Whilst it is still not decided whether he will be allowed to leave Burnley this summer, the ex-Newport County and Southampton man has been undergoing individual training at his former club ahead of the start of pre-season in the coming weeks.
Birmingham were also interested in a deal for Twine in January before his move to the South West but the midfielder opted against a move to St Andrews in the face of their relegation struggles which saw them ultimately demoted to the third tier.
City boss Liam Manning has been vocal of his desire to bring the former MK Dons loanee back to Ashton Gate in April, saying: “I’d love to work with him. I think he fits the club and profile of player we’ve got but there are so many challenges that go into it. For me, he’s been great; I think he’s got another level he can go to, I think he’s starting to show that and he fits what we’re trying to do.”
Twine was bought by Burnley from the Buckinghamshire club for an undisclosed fee, believed to be around £4 million. Transfermarkt currently values the 24-year-old at €3 million (£2.5 million).
Writer’s View
Scott Twine is a man in demand and this latest update is good news for Bristol City. Whilst he is fairly local and a former player of the team, using their facilities could be a sign of who is in pole position for his signature this summer. The uncertainty around Burnley’s managerial situation means this will not be solved until the new boss is in place.
The Robins are pushing the question ahead of their transfer rivals in Birmingham City and Sunderland. Blues’ relegation likely puts them on the back foot already and questions about Jobe Bellingham’s future may force the Black Cats into action sooner rather than later.
1st Class Honours in Multimedia Journalism at Salford University. Writing mainly about League Two.
