Bristol City are confident they’ve beaten off a host of Championship rivals to secure the double signing of Joe Bryan on a free transfer from Fulham and Aberdeen’s Ross McCrorie.
Nigel Pearson revealed on BBC Radio Bristol on Monday night that he believes two signings are close to being confirmed and Bristol Live understands that duo is Bryan and McCrorie.
The signing of Bryan represents a homecoming for the defender, having left Ashton Gate in the summer of 2018 for west London after emerging through the club’s academy and making 230 first-team appearances.
Cardiff City, Swansea City, Blackburn Rovers, Stoke City and Millwall were all keen on the 29-year-old but the Robins have won the race for his signature and he’s expected to be the first summer signing announced by the club in the coming weeks.
McCrorie, meanwhile, is still to complete the final three matches of the Scottish Premier League campaign but a fee in the region of £2million, including add-ons, has been agreed for the 25-year-old who can cover a variety of positions in defence and midfield.
City’s ambition and their realistic and credible chance of competing for promotion after Nigel Pearson’s rebuild, coupled with the infrastructure and facilities in south Bristol are understood to have proved a persuasive pitch for McCrorie who was also wanted by West Brom and Norwich City.
Bristol Live has learned that the Scot has effectively turned down more lucrative wages elsewhere as his preference is to move to the Robins, however there are elements of the deal still to be concluded. City’s conduct throughout the process has also been said to have been exemplary compared to other clubs.
These early moves in the window are beginning to replicate last summer whereby Pearson was able to secure Mark Sykes and Kal Naismith before the end of May, with both playing key roles over the 2022/23 campaign.
Similar to Sykes and Naismith, Bryan and McCrorie also represent versatile squad additions, capable of covering a number of roles across the field.
Bryan brings with him not only knowledge of the club and an already-established relationship with the fanbase but, crucially, Championship promotion know-how having been part of two Fulham squads who have successfully secured their place in the Premier League from the second tier.
He is very much a Championship-ready player who should make a seamless return to the club and the first-team, bringing much needed leadership and experience to further aid the development of the younger individuals in the dressing room.
He also returns with a burning and unfulfilled desire to get his hometown club into the Premier League after the missed opportunity of 2017/18, which proved his final season in red.
Although, on the face of it, he looks to be competing directly with Cam Pring for the left-back slot, he can easily play further up the field as a wing-back, left-sided midfielder or even in attack, while his technical skill also allow him to be deployed in midfield.
McCrorie will be focused towards the other flank where he provides competition for George Tanner at right-back, offers much-needed depth in central defence and also gives Pearson an orthodox defensive midfielder, something he’s been lacking.
McCrorie has spent significant time in his career in all three positions but it’s in midfield where he’s really thrived for Aberdeen over the last six months.
The anticipated arrival of Bryan further throws into doubt Jay Dasilva’s future with the 24-year-old having sat on a contract offer from the club since January and with interest elsewhere in the Championship.
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