Defender Cundy looks set to leave
New Barnsley manager Duff swoops for out-of-contract Bristol City centre-back
BRISTOL City defender Robbie Cundy is understood to be on the verge of joining Michael Duff’s Barnsley on a three-year deal.
The centre-back, pictured in red, has turned down City’s contract offer, with his current agreement expiring, despite breaking into the first-team towards the end of last season.
The Robins put a contract on the table before the end of last season following his impressive run of form after being forced to wait nearly three years to make his full Robins debut, which came in the 1-0 victory away to Blackburn in March.
The 25-year-old went on to make ten Championship starts on the right side of a defensive three in place of Tomas Kalas, who had a number of issues towards the end of the season, including a groin injury.
Boss Nigel Pearson’s signing of defender Kal Naismith only added to the competition for spots in defence and Cundy’s decision to move on is likely to have come down to playing assurances.
City have 11 central defenders at their disposal as it stands in Timm Klose, Naismith, Rob Atkinson,
Kalas, Nathan Baker, Zak Vyner, Taylor Moore, Cam Pring, Ryley Towler, Duncan Idehen and Cundy, although that number will decrease with certain players set to leave permanently, while Towler and/or Idehen could be set for loan moves.
Cundy would likely have been the fourth or fifth choice for the 2022/23 season, and a switch to League One should give him the chance to play more regularly at an important stage in his career.
At the age of 25, Cundy will feel he needs regular first-team football,
having had to bide his time and remain patient to get his chance at City. He arrived at the club from Bath City in 2019 and had loan spells with Exeter, Torquay, Cambridge and Gillingham.
Nobody could begrudge Cundy his decision to make the move, having endured nine different loan spells throughout his career across non-League, League Two and League One. He also suffered a serious knee injury – fracturing the cartilage in his left knee – during his last loan spell with Gillingham that sidelined him for around seven months.
Cundy did not report for the first day of pre-season training on Monday, fuelling speculation that he will not remain a City player beyond next month.
In comparison, Andy King, another player who has yet to sign an extension, was in attendance at the High Performance Centre.
New Barnsley boss Duff, who was appointed last week, is keen to improve his squad. He was a fan of Cundy’s while the defender was playing at Bath.
Cundy is set to be another notable departure from City after Callum O’Dowda joined Cardiff on a free transfer. Kasey Palmer, meanwhile, completed his move to Coventry yesterday.