ROBINS TO RELEASE BRITTON
LOUIS Britton will be released once his contract expires on June 30, ending his threeyear spell with Bristol City, the Bristol Post understands.
The 21-year-old Bristolian, who was told he was free to leave Ashton Gate in January, has been on loan with Irish First Division side Waterford since February, and has scored three times in 10 games.
Britton joined City from Mangotsfield in 2019 and went for loan spells with Yate Town and Bath City. He made one league appearance for the Robins, scoring on his debut from the bench in a 3-1 defeat
against Brentford almost a year ago. The striker enjoyed a prolific campaign for the Under-23s last season, scoring 16 goals, and looked prime to make more of an impact in the first team this campaign following further loans at Torquay, Stockport and Woking.
However, Nigel Pearson all-but ruled him out of his plans in September when he declared Britton didn’t have the levels of fitness required to deal with training and matches at Championship level.
Young forwards Tommy Conway and Sam Bell are expected to have more of an expanded role in the first team next season, which would therefore push Britton further down the pecking order.
The Bristol Post understands Port Vale and Barnsley are two of the clubs interested in signing Britton
on a free transfer on the expiration of his contract.
A permanent move to Waterford hasn’t been ruled out with Britton enjoying his spell in Ireland. However, their season starts in February and finishes in November, which complicates transfer plans with the forward keen to keep his options open over the summer.
Barnsley will look to rebuild their squad over the summer following relegation to League One and have yet to appoint a permanent replacement for former manager Poya Asbaghi.
Vale remain in the promotion hunt from League Two and a victory at top-of-the-table Exeter on Saturday would secure their place in the play-offs.
City are expected to announce their retained list next week which will confirm the news of Britton’s release. The futures of first-team players Timm Klose and Robbie Cundy remain uncertain and are two notable first-team players whose contracts expire at the end of June. Pearson wants to keep Klose next season and insinuated that a contract offer is on the table following the 5-0 victory over Hull City, although the two parties have yet to come to a conclusion with one more match of the season to play.
Cundy is in a similar position, although Pearson has given little away as to whether he wants to keep hold of the former Bath City centre-back. Callum O’Dowda is edging closer to the Ashton Gate exit door with the Bristol Post reporting the club have no intention of activating the winger’s 12-month option in his contract.