Joey Barton reveals what happened with Bristol Rovers’ failed transfer involving Stoke City | OneFootball

Joey Barton has revealed that Bristol Rovers tried to sign defender Connor Taylor from Championship side Stoke City in the January transfer window.

Taylor was an integral part of last season’s promotion-winning side, with the chance to re-join in the summer touted.

However, the 21-year-old was kept in the Midlands by then Potters manager Michael O’Neill and offered a new long-term contract, but circumstances changed for the defender.

O’Neill was subsequently sacked in August and later replaced by Sunderland boss Alex Neil, which saw him drop out of the side after featuring in the first few games of the Championship season.

He has recently in the FA Cup against Hartlepool and Stevenage, but has not played in the Championship since September, and has been an unused substitute in the last nine league games.

With his lack of playing time in mind, Rovers tabled an offer for the young defender, with Barton telling BBC Radio Bristol: “We made a couple of offers.

“We felt we could get big Connor out of Stoke but obviously they were trying to move Aden Flint on and Harry Souttar was bubbling away.

“We thought if we made an offer they’d see how serious we were about it. They didn’t want to sell him.”

According to Bristol World, the offer for Taylor was one that would have involved a fee, and that is a sign that Barton is backed by owner Wael al-Qadi. The ownership has fully supported Barton during his tenure, and most of the players that have been targeted have been signed.

With the club currently sat in mid-table, there’s an opportunity for Rovers to mount a playoff challenge this season, with a view to being contenders once again next season should they finish outside the top six.

Quiz: Are these 20 Bristol Rovers facts real or fake?

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Bristol Rovers were founded in 1883

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The Verdict

It was certainly audacious for Rovers to go in for Taylor, but in making the offer, it shows their ambition.

They’re a club on the up, and the players that are currently at the club are developing well under Barton and this transfer would have been a sign of where the club wants to go in terms of direction.

Whilst they didn’t pull the move off, it shows serve as a positive sign for supporters to see the club making efforts to improve their squad significantly as they look to push as high up the table as possible.