Bristol City could earn over £5m if they sell Aden Flint – and with Derby County and Aston Villa sniffing around, they are not short of suitors.
The dust may not yet have settled on a thrilling Championship seasons but it appears that Aston Villa and Derby County are already putting plans in place to improve upon below-par campaigns.
The big-spending duo will have to make do with places in the top half despite going into 2016/17 with genuine promotion ambitions. Although Sky Bet have tipped their under-performing ways to come to an end sooner rather than later with Villa (7/1) and Derby (12/1) installed as the favourites to lift the second tier title next season.
However, their activity in the summer transfer market could be a major factor in the illustrious duo scaling the Championship well. Especially with The Sun reporting that they will go up against each other for one of the league’s most in-demand players.
For the second season in a row, Bristol City are indebted to their inspirational centre-back Aden Flint as they secure another campaign in the Championship. The 27-year-old, who spearheaded their promotion in 2014/15, has lead by example with a series of superb defensive performances while chipping in with five goals at the other end.
No wonder Derby are reportedly ready to match Villa’s £5 million bid, The Sun reports. They may boast two of the league’s most impressive defensive records but a tendency to capitulate in pressure situations means a leader like Flint could make a huge difference.
Therefore, the impending tug-of-war between two of the Championship’s biggest clubs could be a deciding factor in the destination of next season’s league title – or at least the identity of the promotion challengers.
If Derby swoop in to nab Flint from under Villa’s nose, they will not only have boosted their own ambitions but delivered a potentially huge blow to their rivals.
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