Bristol City handed apparent boost in race to sign Sunderland and Birmingham target | OneFootball

The ex-loanee could be on his way back to Ashton Gate.

Bristol City have been handed a boost as they attempt to sign Burnley winger Scott Twine, amid competition from Sunderland and Birmingham City.

The Robins' desire to bring Twine back to near his hometown is an open secret.

Prior to them signing him on loan from the Clarets in January, they had been reportedly keen on a permanent move for the 24-year-old, although the £5 million that Burnley wanted for him was considered to be a bit much.

Burnley are expected to try and move him on, having bought him from MK Dons for the same reported fee that they were willing to let him go for in the winter, and City are trying to position themselves to be the ones to get him.

His half-season spell at Ashton Gate wasn't particularly fruitful, only returning two goals in a dozen games, but the club are certainly willing to have him back.

Bristol Live have reported that there is confidence in the Robins camp that an agreement can be reached that would allow him to join them on a permanent basis, and they believe that, once the details are agreed on, things should move quickly.

They have now received an extra boost that may give them a bit more confidence of signing him this summer.

Bristol City's Scott Twine transfer boost

The Bristol outlet has revealed that Twine has been training at the club's High Performance Centre during the off-season ahead of the start of pre-season.

Because he is originally from Royal Wootton Bassett, a parish around 45 minutes from the southwesterly city, he could just be making proper use of the facilities that are most local to him.

But it could be seen differently, a way that indicates his desires to return to Ashton Gate for the 2024/25 campaign and beyond.

There is still a chance that another club, like the Blues or the Black Cats, who were reported to be interested in Twine by The Sun, could come in and take the creative midfielder off of Burnley's hands before City have the chance to.

But this latest news could certainly give the club and their fans more optimism about their chances of signing the 24-year-old.

Scott Twine's training facility use is surely a sign of his desires

Another part of the reason why he may have been using the Robins' facilities is the fact that they are familiar to him. He would have used them in the latter half of the last campaign, and knowing your surroundings and where everything is always makes training much more smooth.

But, if you were a footballer, and your parent club and your former temporary club had held talks over a transfer for you, and you weren't bothered about returning to the latter, would you go and use their facilities in the off-season?

Twine doesn't come across as the type of person who would only consider his own benefit and use their training space with full knowledge that there will be no chance of him going back there once pre-season starts.