breaking news: Bristol Rovers targeting deal to sign £50m former Bristol City talented defender..
Bristol Rovers targeting deal to sign former Bristol City defender Jack Hunt
Bristol Rovers are targeting a deal to sign free agent Jack Hunt, Bristol Live understands.
As first reported by Bristol World, the former Bristol City right-back is of interest to Rovers and is available on a free transfer after leaving last season’s League One play-off winners Sheffield Wednesday earlier this summer. Negotiations are believed to be relatively straight forward given Hunt’s status as a free agent.
The 32-year-old made 26 appearances for the Owls across all competitions last season, one of which coming from the bench in the play-off final as a late Josh Windass effort sealed the Yorkshire club’s return to the Championship.
However, that was the last competitive match the right-back played as he looks to join a new club with Alan Nixon reporting earlier this summer that League Two side Bradford City had explored signing the defender.
Having made 115 appearances for City between 2018 and 2021, the Englishman always gave 100 per cent on the pitch and the Gas would be signing a particularly hard worker should a deal be completed.
The former Nottingham Forest, Huddersfield Town and Barnsley right-back also boasts 289 Championship appearances with a career total of 484 games which would offer Joey Barton’s squad invaluable experience. Moreover, he has three promotions on his CV with two coming from League One.
Rovers have signed nine players at the time of writing this summer with five arriving on free transfers and have made a solid start to the new campaign, picking up five points from a tough opening schedule consisting of trips to Portsmouth and Charlton Athletic as well as a home clash against play-off runners-up Barnsley.
Barton has hinted that fans can expect more arrivals, saying to BBC Sport after Tuesday’s dramatic 2-1 win at Charlton: “From our perspective, we’ve got a little bit to do in terms of just putting together the final pieces of the jigsaw. We’re moving a few of those things on. Things in football aren’t done until they’re done but we’re hoping to get some breakthroughs in the early part of next week or the back part of this week.
“As I say, we’ve got a couple to do. I think we’ve recruited really, really well. We’ve got some lads to come into the mix. We’ve got the nucleus of a really good squad, a little bit of tweaking in our group. We’re going to lose a few. There’s a few lads who are going to want to go and play and they’re having to be patient at this moment in time.
“But again, we’re getting closer to that final piece of the jigsaw which is hopefully not on Deadline Day, that’s why I’ve got grey hair now. It tends to go into the back end but I’m hoping to have it all done by then so we’ve got a really boring transfer deadline.”
21-year-old Luca Hoole has started the season well as first-choice at right-back whilst James Gibbons is currently injured, meaning the arrival of Hunt would provide good competition as well as experience for a backline which has averaged an age of 21 years in the last two matches.
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