Bristol City are set to reject a £1 million bid from Derby County for defender Zak Vyner, as per Ron Walker.
Walker reports that, although Vyner is entering the final year of his contract, the Rams’ bid falls ‘far below’ the Robins’ valuation of the versatile defender.
£1 Million Bid For Zak Vyner Set To Be Rejected
Vyner has been at Bristol City for five and a half seasons, during which he has established himself as a key player at Ashton Gate.
Last season, the 28-year-old achieved a feat rarely seen in modern football. He played every second of competitive football for Bristol City in all competitions and was one of just three outfield players in the Championship to not miss a single minute of league action.
The Bath-born man won more tackles than 98.3% of Championship centre-backs and made more recoveries than 96.6% of his peers as he was one of the most reliable defenders in the second tier last campaign.
It is therefore clear to see why Derby have made a move to sign Vyner, especially given that the Rams have lost Nathaniel Phillips following the expiration of his loan.
John Eustace’s side currently have four fit senior centre-backs under contract, including Craig Forsyth, who also featured at left-wing-back at points last season.
This has meant that Eustace has been forced to move away from the 5-3-2 formation, which saw Derby achieve so much success in the final months of last season, as he has played a back four during much of preseason.
Writer’s View
Derby have already shown good ambition in this window, strengthening their attack by paying relatively big money to secure the services of Patrick Agyemang as well as signing former Luton Town captain Carlton Morris for an undisclosed fee.
But, they definitely need to strengthen in the centre of defence if they want to push up the table in their second season in the second tier. Forsyth and new signing Danny Batth are 36 and 34 years old respectively, meaning they are on the decline physically, whilst Curtis Nelson is not going to be available for the first few months of the season due to the cruciate ligament injury he picked up in January.
Even if Eustace wants to start using a back four this campaign, Vyner would add quality and experience to the defence, and he could even provide competition at right-back.
However, it remains to be seen if they are willing to meet Bristol City’s valuation of Vyner, or whether the Robins will try to persuade him to stay by offering him a new contract.
