Chelsea home in on promising Bristol City teenager Kevin Krans
BRISTOL City face a fight to keep hold of talented teenage striker Kevin Krans.
Signed last summer, the free-scoring Londoner, 19, has made a major impact in City's Under-21 development side this season.
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City trainee Kevin Krans
But he is out of contract in July and a number of bigger clubs, including European champions Chelsea, are showing an interest.
City are preparing to make Krans an offer, but will face stiff competition from the Blues, while Premier League rivals Fulham and Reading and Championship clubs Blackburn Rovers and Huddersfield Town are also scouting the striker.
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Chelsea scout Adie Mings has watched Krans twice in recent weeks and the Londoner impressed when scoring twice in a 4-0 home win over Queens Park Rangers last month.
Mings is urging the powers that be at Stamford Bridge to make a move for Krans and the London club are ready to follow up their interest with an offer.
City first spotted Krans playing non-League football in Middlesex and offered the youngster a trial last summer. He then signed a three-month deal, which was extended until the end of the season on November 1. Krans is rated highly by Ashton Gate Academy manager Willie McStay and Under-21 boss Alex Russell and his performances have also come to the notice of head coach Sean O'Driscoll, who drafted the striker into the first team squad ahead of Saturday's home game against Forest.
In the absence of injured forwards Ryan Taylor and Sam Baldock, Krans warmed up with the rest of the senior squad on the Ashton Gate pitch, but failed to make the bench.
Having arrived in Bristol as an attacking midfielder, the Londoner has since been deployed as an out-and-out striker with impressive results.
Blessed with lightning-quick pace, he also has an eye for goal and City are keen to keep him at the club beyond the end of the season.
Meanwhile, star winger Albert Adomah has been released by Ghana's national squad and is expected back at Ashton Gate any day now.
Adomah made five appearances in the African Cup of Nations, helping the Black Stars reach the semi-finals before they were knocked out by Burkina Faso in a penalty shoot-out.
Having missed City's last seven games, the 25-year-old winger will be available to face Cardiff in the Welsh capital this Saturday.
But it remains to be seen if O'Driscoll brings him straight back in or retains the side that beat Nottingham Forest 2-0 at the weekend.
Brian Howard's chance to impress and earn a Bristol City contract has been wrecked by the weather.
Having trained with City for a week after being released from his contract by Portsmouth, the former Barnsley, Sheffield United and Reading midfielder was due to play in an Under-21 Development League fixture against Millwall tonight.
But that game has been postponed owing to snowfall in the capital and Howard will continue training with City's first team squad for now.
O'Driscoll can either decide to offer Howard terms without seeing him play in a competitive fixture or wait until the Under-21s are next in action at home to Brentford on February 19.
7 Comments
by anonon
Wednesday, February 13 2013, 2:46PM
“****”
by piledriver
Tuesday, February 12 2013, 6:35PM
“James Wilson is 24 and is still looked at as a kid.Nyatanga's about six months older and has played about 400 more games.
If Krans is a Londoner then he'll be joining them, no doubt unless we can offer a quciker path to first team football.He'd probably still pick Chelsea and lonas to all and sundry before a move.
Good to see the much criticised Academy & Scouting System coming up with someone special, with the "clueless McInnes employing McStay & Russel."
It's a shame that his skills appear more suited to the long term than the present.”
by CityMan
Tuesday, February 12 2013, 5:02PM
“If he is so good, puzzled why he was only given a 1 year contract. If he's developed so quickly in the space of 6 months to warrant so much interest let's play him and fingers crossed he'll sign a new contract!”
by rocketbob
Tuesday, February 12 2013, 12:22PM
“it does appear that most managers only put the kids in when they are reasonably certain of staying up.They tend to stick to their seasoned professionals. when threatened with relegation.We have seen Bryan, Burns, and Bolassi briefly this season. All did reasonably well , i doubt if Bobby Reid is entirely happy sat on the bench.
It is hard to judge if young players are ready for the first team. The club spends a lot of money running an Academy. We have three or four players on the edge of the first team. How can we keep them within a wage structure which the club can afford ?If the big clubs can cherrypick from other clubs Academies whats the point of having one?”
by marmeliser
Tuesday, February 12 2013, 10:33AM
“another one that could slip thru the net. at 19 if he's good enough, he's old enough and should be played. fair play he was spotted initially, but the club need to sell the prospect of regular first team football - not rotting in the reserves at chelsea - and a successful career to follow. 3rd division football will NOT appeal!
i think SO'D will be better at that than mcinnes would have”
by Ciderman
Tuesday, February 12 2013, 10:17AM
“@Vonner - Completely agree. If this lad is that good, why on earth hasn't he made his first-team debut yet? Beggars belief.”
by Vonner
Tuesday, February 12 2013, 9:03AM
“It's just not good enough that we have a lad like this doing so well - yet it takes this long for him to get noticed (oddly enough SO'D has noticed quickly). He is 19, not 16 - he could have been on the bench and given 20 mins or so at any point this season.”