Bristol City's £3.5m agreement with Ipswich Town landed Robins double gift: View | OneFootball

Adam Webster was superb for Bristol City and netted them a huge profit at the same time.

Over the years, Bristol City have made several impressive transfers that have significantly benefited the club. One standout example being the £3.5 million acquisition of Adam Webster from Ipswich Town in 2018.

Prior to signing for the Robins, Webster had impressed at Portman Road for a couple of seasons after signing for the Tractor Boys from Portsmouth in 2016.

But, it was at Ashton Gate where he truly elevated his game. In just one year with City, his commanding performances earned him a reputation as something of a cult hero.

Now five years on, he is a regular in Brighton and Hove Albion's side, cementing himself as a solid Premier League centre-back.

Adam Webster's 2018-19 brilliance

Despite the fee of £3.5 million, not many Bristol City fans would have placed a huge expectation on Webster, given it was his first season for the club.

But, quickly, the at-the-time 23-year-old asserted himself, becoming a firm fixture of the Robins back line alongside the experienced Tomas Kalas.

After a tricky start in the first three fixtures of the campaign, Webster’s defence came to the fore, keeping clean sheets in three of the next four games, including a standout performance at home against Sheffield United.

Building on this, Webster continued to excel alongside Kalas for the rest of the campaign, as they stood firm at the heart of the defence. Speaking about their partnership during that season, the current Brighton defender said: "We’ve clicked since we started playing together and long may that continue.

“We’re both different type of players but he’s a brilliant defender, he doesn’t lose headers, he reads the game well and we work well together.”

At the end of the season, they finished in 8th place, having conceded just 53 goals in the league, ranking them as the fifth-best defence in the Championship.

Adam Webster statistically excelled

Whilst it may have been a brilliant partnership, it was Webster who stood out from the pack. Not just visually but statistically, he was possibly the best defender in the Championship that season.

Over 44 games, his 280 aerial duels won, 401 duels won, 91 interceptions and 274 recoveries ranked him among the top 2% of centre-backs for the 2018-19 season, according to FotMob. In fact, the latter three statistics were the best in the league among defenders.

Outside that, his passing was a particularly strong feature of his game, which must have been a factor behind Brighton targeting the former Portsmouth man the following summer.

All these numbers combined with admiration from those around the club earned him the Supporter's Player of the Year and a place in Quest's Championship Team of the Year.

His spell at Bristol City proved him as one of the league's best defenders and Webster will always be fondly remembered at Ashton Gate.

Adam Webster's move to Brighton

Having excelled for the Robins, interest was rife in the defender that summer, and it was Brighton who picked up the defender in early August 2019.

An at-the-time club-record fee of £20 million for Brighton secured the Robins a huge profit of £16.5 million, just a year after he signed from the Tractor Boys.

Five years on from his move to the South Coast, Webster is still plying his trade at the Amex Stadium, having made over 100 appearances for the Seagulls, including matches in the Europa League.

For Bristol City, this move represents one of the smartest bits of business in the club's history. While eyebrows may have been raised when they signed him in 2018, his impressive performances and subsequent sale for £20 million just a year later demonstrate a masterstroke.