Joe Bryan enhanced his reputation big time as Bristol City stunned Manchester United in the EFL Cup…no wonder Everton fans are so keen.
Bristol City manager Lee Johnson knows there is a potential downside to his side’s stunning form this season.
The Robins flirted with relegation throughout 2016/17 but appear to be on the verge of something special right now, sitting third in the Championship and reaching the semi-finals of the EFL Cup thanks to Corey Smith’s stoppage-time winner against Manchester United on Wednesday.
It was Joe Bryan who perhaps stood out the most in that historic clash at Ashton Gate, thrashing in the opener past Sergio Aguero with a stunning drive from the edge of the box.
And Johnson knows that his red-hot left-back, who has now scored three times in his last four games, will be the subject of plenty of attention with the January transfer window looming ominously.
“We will probably have to fend off bids from Premier League clubs for him in January, or certainly in the summer,” Johnson admitted to the Bristol Post, while questioning why he has not been called up to represent the Scotland national team yet.
If there’s one club that seems perfect for Bryan, it’s Everton. His sensational strike against Jose Mourinho’s United might just have added a few more pounds onto his price-tag though, if The Toffees’ fans had their way, their club would stop at nothing to bring the Bristol-born talent to Goodison Park in January.
With Leighton Baines 32 these days and no obvious successor in Everton’s squad, Bryan looks every inch his long-term replacement.
Though it would be a shame if this promising Bristol City side was broken up with so much excitement on the horizon.
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