Bristol City could look at Aston Villa player after Scott Twine reveal: View | OneFootball

Highlights

It took him a while to really get going as their head coach, but Liam Manning and Bristol City are now proving to be a pretty good fit for each other.

A winner of just one of his first six matches in charge of the Robins, Manning got off to a pretty slow start, but such is the volatile nature of the Championship, it only took a few good results for City to propel themselves into the play-off race once more.

Three wins in succession against Sunderland, Hull City and Watford - all teams who are battling around them to try and solidify themselves in the top six - will have given Manning and his squad a fresh shot of optimism heading into 2024, and very soon the transfer window will open, allowing the potential strengthening of the squad at Ashton Gate.

Manning has already revealed that City will be active in the transfer market, perhaps spending some of the funds made by the summer sale of Alex Scott to Bournemouth, with an emphasis on the top end of the pitch in regards to incomings - whether that is in attack or in the attacking midfield area.

Twine link to Bristol City quashed

One player that has been linked with a move to Ashton Gate is Scott Twine - Burnley's creative number 10 who has been playing on loan at Hull City for the first half of the 2023-24 season.

It took Twine a while to really get into gear for the Tigers, but in recent weeks he has been showing more of his true self in and around the box, but it was under Manning who he had his best season under in 2021-22 when he scored 20 times and notched 13 assists for MK Dons in League One.

Alan Nixon reported that Manning wants to re-unite with Twine at Bristol City in January if a deal could be done with Burnley, which would mean a terminated loan deal with Hull, but local reports suggest that the 24-year-old is not being considered by the Robins for whatever reason.

That means City will have to look elsewhere in that area of the pitch, and there is one particular player who isn't getting a look in at his Premier League club that could fit the bill.

Iroegbunam could answer Bristol City's problems

According to the Sunday Mirror's Sports Editor Darren Witcoop, Aston Villa are willing to let young midfielder Tim Iroegbunam depart the club on a permanent basis after failing to really break through at the club - that is despite coming off the bench briefly against Man United on Boxing Day.

The 20-year-old had appeared in the Premier League just three times prior to that, all of which came under Steven Gerrard, and despite being under contract at Villa until the summer of 2027, it appears that for the right price, Iroegbunam can depart two-and-a-half years after arriving from West Brom.

QPR are reported to be keen on the player, who spent the 2022-23 campaign on loan at Loftus Road, but he may fit in better at Bristol City with their relatively young and vibrant squad.

Iroegbunam would not be naturally described as an out and out number 10, and is perhaps best in a midfield three as part of a pair ahead of a defensive midfielder, but that is a system that Manning could perhaps deploy instead of a 4-2-3-1 at times.

Jason Knight is currently flourishing as the most advanced midfielder at Ashton Gate, but the Irishman will need competition and Iroegbunam, with his combative and energetic nature, could really provide something different in the engine room.

He is by far a different player to Scott Twine, who is very technically gifted when it comes to ball-striking, but Iroegbunam hasn't really showed that in his career yet - he can stick his foot into tackles but also advance up the pitch with the ball and then look to try and make things happen.

The young Villa man could be a smart investment if he is up for sale as reported, as he's a player that could potentially be flipped for a big profit if he develops into a star player - it all depends on if Manning and the recruitment team have him on their radar though.