Board will decide on Albert Adomah's future with Bristol City, says head coach Sean O'Driscoll
BRISTOL City head coach Sean O'Driscoll has given the clearest indication yet that star winger Albert Adomah will be sold during the January transfer window.
Adomah, who is representing Ghana in the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa at the moment, is wanted by Championship promotion contenders Crystal Palace.
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BRISTOL City head coach Sean O'Driscoll has given the clearest indication yet that star winger Albert Adomah will be sold during the January transfer window.
City have already rejected the London club's initial offer of £1 million, but Palace are expected to table an improved bid. On Saturday, following City's 2-1 home win against Ipswich, O'Driscoll made it clear he has no say in Adomah's future, which will instead be determined by the Ashton Gate board of directors.
Recognising that every player has his price, the 55-year-old Midlander said he expects Adomah, pictured, to leave if an acceptable bid comes in before Thursday's deadline.
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Eagles boss Ian Holloway sees Adomah as an ideal replacement for winger Wilfried Zaha, who is to move to Manchester United at the end of the season, and any offer that guarantees City £2m up front is sure to test the board's resolve.
O'Driscoll said: "I don't think they (the board) have to sell him financially, but then Crystal Palace did not have to sell Wilfried Zaha.
"When Manchester United put £15m down and £10m of that is up front, that is good business.
"I think it is the same with Albert. Every player has got his price and I'm sure the two clubs will decide whether they can come to some sort of agreement on the fee. But that is for the board to decide rather than me.
"Albert is away playing in the African Nations Cup and that is a good thing, because the speculation is not affecting him while he is out of the picture."
O'Driscoll is considering entering the transfer market to replace injured striker Ryan Taylor, who suffered a fractured collarbone in Saturday's Championship win over Ipswich.
Taylor will almost certainly miss the rest of the season if doctors decide to insert a metal plate in his shoulder, leaving Jon Stead, Steven Davies and Sam Baldock as the only experienced forwards on the staff.
O'Driscoll said: "Whether or not he needs a metal plate put in it will be decided in the next couple of days. If the break is too wide and is not going to mend naturally, they will have to plate it.
"If that happens, then his season is probably over. It is a blow to us and maybe we will have to look to bolster the numbers."
Should Adomah be sold to Palace, City's head coach will more than likely be given cash to fund a replacement for Taylor.
O'Driscoll added: "Young Wes Burns has been terrific and he gives us another option, while Bobby Reid and Joe Bryan look outstanding players in training.
"But this is probably not the time to throw them in.
"If we can get someone in, then we would like it to be a player with a bit more experience.
"That will be ongoing and could happen if the Albert situation materialises. If an offer from Palace is accepted, it will be difficult to lose two players without replacing them, given where we are. Maybe we can do something short-term that improves the situation."
Midfielder Neil Kilkenny, pictured, limped off towards the end of Saturday's game after turning an ankle and O'Driscoll confirmed the Australia international is a doubt for tomorrow's home game against Watford.
He said: "I'm not sure it's too serious, but he will definitely be touch-and-go for Tuesday night."
7 Comments
by BCFCfinker
Tuesday, January 29 2013, 12:11AM
“Board management for dummies.
How much do City lose if we get demoted to L1. Take that from the price they get for selling AA now?
How much do City lose if we don't get demoted to L1. Take that from the price of selling AA at the end of the season?
How much do City lose if we get demoted to L1. Take that from the price of selling AA at the end of the season?
Now for the intangible. How much does the board think AA will contribute in helping to keep City up?
Who on the board has any common sense?”
by Major_Gas
Monday, January 28 2013, 1:26PM
“Play the youngsters! - It hasn't seemed to have done Ellis Harrison any harm at Rovers......”
by Pilkington
Monday, January 28 2013, 1:15PM
“@FromMendip.
Well said.
Frankly it is some of the old-guard that have got us into this mess and I don't have a lot of faith in them getting us out of it.
You know as well as I do what will happen. There will never be a good time to blood this kids, their careers will stagnate and they will end up at Yeovil.
Imagine the same logic being applied at Barcelona; we have this great kid coming though the youth ranks called Messi - hmm, but he is only 21, best stick with Kilkenny for now and loan Messi out to Yeovil.
If we are relegated these kids will form the nucleus of our side to bounce back, so lets increase their exposure to first team football now.”
by Pilkington
Monday, January 28 2013, 1:09PM
“Piledriver has touched on this previously but I want to highlight it again before our novice board go and sell the family silver (Albert Adomah) for a pittance.
Albert is under contract for another 18 months and has not requested a transfer.
Palace offered £1M which we quite rightly refused, but it is now being reported we could accept £2M+add-ons.
Board members take note: *this is a derisory sum of money for one of the best wingers in the Championship*.
Quite frankly, we need Albert to spearhead our bid to stay up this season, so unless Palace come back with £5M+add-ons we MUST keep him. Selling Albert for anything less would be a massive vote of no-confidence in the board.
I am pretty sure a £2M+ offer from Palace will still be available in the summer if the board are that desperate for money.
I am also confident every club in the Championship would happily pay £2M+ for Albert in the summer if we still plan to give him away.
The only thing I can think is Keith Millen knows of a clause in Albert's renegotiated contract that means he can leave for, say, £1M, if we were relegated.
If the contract is 'clean' and good for 18 months, is has to be enforced by the board until such point as a buying club makes us an offer that is befitting of one of the best players in the Championship.
Di Canio is having the same issue with Matt Richie (Swindon's talented winger). Di Canio's response is to say Richie is worth £20M but he would reluctantly let him go for £15M.
I believe everybody at Bristol City should be equally ruthless when it comes to speculation surrounding our best players.
Frankly, for just £2M I would rather we kept hold of Albert for the next 18 months to see out his contract at Ashton Gate.”
by FromMendip
Monday, January 28 2013, 12:21PM
“O'Driscoll added: "Young Wes Burns has been terrific and he gives us another option, while Bobby Reid and Joe Bryan look outstanding players in training.
"But this is probably not the time to throw them in.
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A recurring complaint from many City fans is that for many years successive managers have been reluctant to play promising youngsters. Other clubs don't seem to have this problem and have unearthed some stars as a result.
I had hoped the new man at Ashton Gate would be different but he seems equally cautious in the matter as his predecessors.
I realise that a relegation struggle is not ideal to blood young players but when is? Mid-table mediocrity when the pressure is off? That would not be a real test. If they're good enough they're old enough.
If City were going for promotion I suspect that too would be deemed to be not the time to include youngsters.”
by piledriver
Monday, January 28 2013, 11:22AM
“ANOTHER HEADLINE-SAME INTERVIEW & NO STORY!!!
STOCKHAUSEN-SORT THIS OUT.”
by phantom1974
Monday, January 28 2013, 9:25AM
“Maybe the same deal can be done, we sell Adomah, but he is loaned back to us for the rest of the season?”