Bristol City are interested in Derby County midfielder Jason Knight as they begin to plan for life after Alex Scott, although a move for the Republic of Ireland international is not dependent on the Robins star being sold this summer.
Bristol Live understands the Robins are increasingly keen on Republic of Ireland international Knight however rumours overnight of a bid are premature and there have only been initial inquiries made. That situation, however, could change over the coming days with a host of Championship clubs chasing his signature and City the first to show definitive and serious interest.
Knight made 50 appearances for the Rams last season across a host of positions - central midfield, attacking midfield, right-back and right wing-back, not dissimilar to Scott in his early days at City - but the 22-year-old is best suited to an attacking role in the middle of the park.
Derby activated the 12-month option in his contract in May giving them a certain degree of protection but there is also an awareness at Pride Park that this is the only window in which they can seek any kind of value in the midfielder. That is countered by the desire to keep him to drive their promotion challenge next season.
Sparking a bidding war for one of their prized assets makes a lot of sense for the Rams who have had tentative contact with a number of other Championship clubs. City, however, following the January sale of Antoine Semenyo look well-placed financially to get ahead of their rivals, should an understanding be reached with the League One side.
Having made 166 appearances for Derby since signing from Cabinteely when he was 16, Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny recently said Knight was at the stage of his career where "he probably needs to go and play at a higher level".
In one sense, he can be viewed as a direct replacement for Scott which could come to pass over time but, as it stands, the Robins haven’t received a single bid from a Premier League club for the 19-year-old.
Bournemouth, Brighton & Hove Albion and Wolves are among the many top-flight clubs keen on the midfielder but City’s steadfast refusal to budge on their £25m valuation has kept them at arm’s length.
Cherries sporting director Richard Hughes is a huge admirer of Scott, as is Wolves manager Julen Lopetegui, and those two clubs had designs on signing him in January but the concept of paying that fee for an untested teenager when they were both embroiled in a relegation battle simply wasn’t palatable.
That scenario isn’t the case at this time of the year but the increasing noise around Scott from national media is yet to manifest into anything concrete. The market has been quieter than perhaps first forecast but is still very early in the window so the situation is likely to develop, however it seems many of his suitors are considering more economically-agreeable alternatives before fixing their sights on the City star.
Whether he leaves in this window, January or next summer, the Robins aim to be proactive in not being left short and Knight looks the perfect candidate to fill the void.
Should he be signed in the event of Scott departing, while the club will also look to bring in at least one other midfielder, there is confidence Knight can move into the No10/attacking No8 role. Ideally, however, is the concept of Scott staying, either for the first half of the season or the full 2023/24 campaign, giving Knight a season to adapt to the division before taking over.
There is also the consideration that Matty James and Joe Williams are entering the final years of their contracts at Ashton Gate so, should a best-case scenario in this window come to pass and Scott stays, City could, theoretically, then lose three first-team midfielders at the end of this season.
Rather than work within that pressured framework in 12 months, signing a talent such as Knight is the start of a succession plan in that area of the field. There was also understood to be early interest in Peterborough United’s Jack Taylor but the 24-year-old is no longer considered a target.
City appear to have now moved into phase two of their recruitment plan as, having bolstered their defence with the signings of Rob Dickie, Ross McCrorie and Haydon Roberts, they are looking at midfield options.
That is caveated by the fact that they are expected to be in the market for another centre-back should Tomas Kalas not sign the new contract presented to him last month. That looks increasingly the case as there has been little contact between the club and the Czech’s representatives since.
There would potentially explain why there has been no development over their expected pursuit of Crystal Palace defender Jake O’Brien, with the Robins waiting on Kalas’ decision before returning with an offer for the Republic of Ireland international who is entering the final year of his deal at Selhurst Park and is said to be very keen on a move to the West Country, should it come to fruition.
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