Bristol City boss Lee Johnson weighing up potential move for Barnsley's Alfie Mawson a_stockhausen please log in to view this image Bristol City are contemplating making a move for highly-rated Barnsley defender Alfie Mawson. The 22-year-old former Brentford player has two years left on his contract at Oakwell and is valued at around £500,000. But Johnson is a confirmed admirer of the 6ft 2in centre-back and believes he is ready to make the step-up to the Championship. please log in to view this image Any formal move will necessarily have to wait until after Barnsley have met Millwall in the League One play-off final at Wembley next Sunday, but City are ready to move for a player their head coach knows well. It was Johnson who was responsible for taking Mawson from Brentford to Barnsley last summer and offering him a three-year deal. It proved a shrewd piece of business and the fast-learning defender has since established himself as a crucial pivot anchoring a revival that has seen Barnsley lift the Johnstone's Paint Trophy and move to within 90 minutes of promotion back to the Championship. A right-sided centre-half by trade, Mawson is also comfortable on his left foot and is adept when it comes to passing the ball out from the back. He is also strong in the air and has contributed seven goals in 48 appearances for the Reds this season. Having benefited from a season-long loan spell at League Two Wycombe Wanderers last year, playing 51 times and scoring six goals, Mawson has come on in leaps and bounds this term. please log in to view this image At 22, he is still learning his trade and his best years are before him. Johnson believes he can improve still further and is keen to tap into that potential. Of course, landing Mawson will become a more tenable prospect should Millwall win next weekend's play-off final and consign Barnsley to another season in League One. Johnson has also been linked to two more of his former players at Oakwell and potential moves for on-loan winger Josh Brownhill and out-of-contract player of the year Adam Hammill are also pending the conclusion of the League One finale. http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Bristol-City-Robins-boss-Lee-Johnson-weighing/story-29299030-detail/story.html
Looks like we might become a Barnsley B Team at this rate. I'm all for snapping up potential stars at bargain prices, as long as we are also intent on signing proven quality in key positions in order to supplement them and bring them on. The Championship is a MASSIVE step up from L1 as we know. But for all the world it sounds like the usual 'cheaper options' we've become renowned for. Time will tell whether we're talking big and acting small again.
There ARE some bargains to be had - Flint has made the step up - so has Kodjia (I am assuming the French L2 isn't up to the standard of our Championship). Look at Vardy - ok he is an exception, but there must be thousands of Vardys playing in the lower leagues waiting to be discovered. Not to mention our very own Bolassie........
We've heard all the usual corporate bullshit and now we will reap the usual version of commitment by travelling down the same old cheap ineffective highway.
So far that's 4 Barnsley players linked to us. Hammill Winnall Brownhill, the one who Preston got rid off (not a worry considering we deemed Cunningham the other way round not worth keeping) And now this one. At least they know to pass to the ones in red I suppose.
