Bristol City are considering an approach for Luton Town forward Harry Cornick before Tuesday’s transfer deadline, Bristol Live understands, with plans to sign the 27-year-old brought forward following the impending sale of Antoine Semenyo.
Cornick is out of contract at the Hatters this summer and, similar to the situation with Kal Naismith 12 months ago, had been identified as a free agent target for the Robins but the imminent departure of Semenyo will leave a void in attack.
City are increasingly keen to sign him now, for a minimal fee, to cover the hole in Nigel Pearson’s squad, rather than risk not getting him at all at the end of the season. Cornick is not the only option being explored, however, as Pearson indicated during Thursday's press conference the club were working to bring in a new attacking player.
Cornick scored 12 goals in 39 appearances for Luton last season but has not been a consistent starter in 2022/23, due to injury, and with Rob Edwards replacing Nathan Jones in November, the Hatters are understood to be open to a sale.
The former Bournemouth trainee has been an integral part of the Luton squad that has advanced up the divisions, joining them when they were a League Two club in 2017 and has spent the last three seasons in the Championship.
Capable of operating as a winger or a second striker and across the front three, Cornick is not a direct replacement for Semenyo in terms of playing style, but would provide Pearson further options in attack in what is becoming a settled 4-3-3 system.
Andi Weimann and Tommy Conway are both currently out with hamstring injuries, the latter potentially until March, leaving Nahki Wells, Sam Bell and Chris Martin as his striking options. Bell has made just four Championship starts and there's every chance Martin could leave before the deadline.
From City’s perspective, Cornick represents a relatively low-cost, low-risk, high upside and positionally flexible signing in this window and any money from the Semenyo fee can therefore be directed to the summer where a new No9 is likely to be the priority.
With just five days of the transfer window remaining, and clubs now aware of the extra £9m in City’s accounts, negotiating a suitable move for a striker in the EFL would be challenging, with clubs unwilling to let their best players leave and valuations unrealistically inflated.
Any obvious candidates in League One or League Two will need time to adapt and adjust to Championship football, while many of the obvious options are also playing for clubs competing for promotion so their price will be high.
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