Derby County, Cardiff City & Wycombe Wanderers in transfer battle for Bristol Rovers man | OneFootball

Bristol Rovers will struggle to keep hold of Kamil Conteh following their relegation from League One

Derby County, Cardiff City and Wycombe Wanderers are reportedly set to battle it out for Bristol Rovers star Kamil Conteh.

That’s according to Mirror journalist Daniel Marsh, who revealed there are a number of top League One clubs in the running for the 22-year-old, who has a "significant" release clause within his contract.

The Pirates are having to readjust their squad, having suffered relegation to League Two following a difficult season in the third tier.

As one of the club’s most marketable assets, it’s no shock to see him touted as a potential early departure from the Memorial Stadium.

Derby, Wycombe and Cardiff circle Bristol Rovers midfielder Kamil Conteh

Potentially sensing a cut-price deal to be had, Derby, Wycombe and Cardiff are the clubs that have been named in connection with Conteh.

Marsh reports that Rovers are “braced” for this interest, understanding the difficult position they find themselves in.

Conteh came up through the youth systems of Crystal Palace, Watford and Middlesbrough, before breaking onto the senior scene with a loan spell at Gateshead.

Half a season at League Two Grimsby Town followed, before he was snatched up by the Pirates in January 2024, where he has been ever since.

Bristol Rovers and Darrell Clarke are in a good transfer position in regards to Kamil Conteh

Losing one of your most promising and valuable players, on the back of a relegation, is never the best place to be in, but with Conteh the scenario is about as good as the Gas could hope it to be.

Marsh reports that Rovers have a “significant” release clause in the midfielder’s contract, which should set the parameters clearly for any upcoming negotiations.

The relegated side also got him tied down to a three-and-a-half-year deal when signing him last year, which is set to run until 2027.

Their position is undoubtedly weakened by the relegation, as clubs will know Rovers need to sell both to satisfy the club’s accountants and the player, but they are not without some leverage in the upcoming talks.

Kamil Conteh may not be as cheap as interested parties hope

The significant release clause, along with Conteh’s length of contract, will all stand to make him more expensive, as will his status as a senior international with Sierra Leone.

There is also the fact that there are at least three named parties interested in the player, with more probably keeping track of the situation from the wings.

While clubs will be hesitant to go over the release clause value in any bidding war, the intense interest could certainly prevent Rovers having to deal at any figure lower than that.