Bristol City plotting January transfer swoop for 27-year-old midfielder | OneFootball

Bristol City boss Liam Manning is keen to sign Cameron Brannagan from former club Oxford United in the January transfer window.

Who is Cameron Brannagan?

The 27-year-old came through the ranks at Liverpool, but whilst he did feature in the first-team at Anfield, Brannagan decided to move to Oxford in search of regular football.

And, during his time with the U’s, Brannagan has established himself as one of the top midfield players in League One, enjoying some fine individual campaigns.

That includes the current season, with Brannagan scoring four goals and registering four assists as Oxford push for promotion to the Championship.

Liam Manning seeking Cameron Brannagan reunion at Bristol City

Of course, most of that has been played under Manning, before he decided to leave for Bristol City last month on a long-term contract.

It’s been a mixed start to life at Ashton Gate for Manning, but the fans recognise that he is trying to implement a new style of play as part of his long-term philosophy.

He will need new signings to do that, so the Robins could be busy in the New Year, and TEAMtalk has revealed that Brannagan is a target for the Championship side.

“Sources have told TEAMtalk that Bristol City boss Liam Manning is keen to raid his former club and land midfielder Cameron Brannagan.

“Brannagan turned down options to leave Oxford last summer, instead opting to stay at the Kassam Stadium but TEAMtalk has been told that Manning and Bristol City will test their resolve to keep him beyond January.”

Is Cameron Brannagan capable of playing in the Championship?

In truth, it’s a surprise that Brannagan is yet to make the step up, as he is a very good player, and someone who you would expect to handle the Championship.

His technical ability is evident by the goals and assists he gets, but his all-round game is good as well, and he plays with an intensity. Of course, it’s a higher level, but you would also have to trust Manning’s judgement here, as he has got to work with Brannagan on a daily basis, and it suggests he likes his character as well.

How much will Cameron Brannagan cost?

There was no mention of a fee in the update, but you can be sure that Oxford will not want to lose Brannagan on the cheap.

Pleasingly for the League One side, Brannagan has a contract that runs until the summer of 2025, so they aren’t in a position where they need to cash in, and that should ensure they get a fair fee for the player.

Furthermore, Oxford are third in the table, and in the mix for promotion, so that will only increase their desire to keep their key man, until the summer at least.

What next for Bristol City?

It’s no surprise that Manning has an eye on the transfer window, as he clearly needs a few players to be brought in to help suit his style, and the recruitment team will be drawing up a list of targets ahead of January.

In the meantime, though, the boss will be focused on football, and he will be keen to bounce back from successive defeats when they make the trip to Huddersfield on Saturday.