Bristol City want Cian Bolger to compensate for Aden Flint’s potential exit – but is the former a better option for Aston Villa than the latter?
Bristol City’s man mountain Aden Flint
Life without Aden Flint doesn’t bare thinking about for Bristol City. The influential captain has been at the heart of all their recent success, plundering 14 goals from centre back in The Robins 2014/15 League One title winning campaign while playing a crucial role in two successive Championship survival bids.
No wonder, then, that Flint has attracted interest from elsewhere. The Sun claims that Aston Villa would consider paying £5 million for the iron-headed 27-year-old this summer.
After all, Steve Bruce’s side could do with a centre-back with Flint’s dominant aerial presence and willingness to throw his body on the line.
And it appears that Bristol City may already be preparing for life without their prized asset. Sky Sports claim that they have identified Cian Bolger as an ideal replacement with the defender likely to move on following Fleetwood Town’s failure to navigate the League One Play-Offs last season.
Bolger, let go by Leicester City as a youngster, is a defender cut from the same cloth as Flint. The rock at the heart of Fleetwood’s back three, the 25-year-old is a towering presence whose no-nonsense approach ensured that only Bolton Wanderers boasted a better defensive record than The Cod Army in 2016/17.
Fleetwood Town’s Cian Bolger doing what he does best
Nonetheless, maybe Aston Villa should consider Bolger as a cheap alternative to the man he could replace at Ashton Gate. According to The Telegraph, FInancial Fair Play regulations mean VIlla will not be able to throw their weight around in the transfer market unless they sell a number of players this summer.
Therefore, the £5 million asking price for Flint could seem a little steep. And although Bolger is untested at Championship level, he is clearly far too good for the third tier.
And if he takes to life in the second tier like Flint, Villa could have secured one of the bargains of the summer. After last season’s £70 million splurge, it’s about time.
Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
