Bristol City and Watford in chase to sign 5-goal midfielder | OneFootball

Bristol City and Watford both have their sights set on Uran Bislimi

Bristol City have completed their first signing of the summer with Sam Tickle joining the club.

The Robins will be keen to bridge the gap to the top teams in the Championship following the appointment of Michael Skubala as head coach.

The former Lincoln City boss has earned a lot of plaudits, particularly for his role in achieving promotion success with the Imps last season.

The 43-year-old will now want to stamp his mark on the team, and Tickle is the first new player through the door.

The goalkeeper has arrived from Wigan Athletic, and will be making the step up from League One.

But he’s unlikely to be the club’s only piece of transfer business between now and the window closing on 1 September.

Bristol City eye Uran Bislimi

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It has been reported by journalist Rudy Galetti that Bristol City are interested in a deal to sign Uran Bislimi.

The midfielder is currently plying his trade with Swiss side Lugano, where he made 34 appearances in the league last season.

The 26-year-old contributed five goals and three assists, but is now entering the final year of his contract, which has led to some uncertainty over his future.

It’s believed that Watford are also keen on his signature, and it remains unclear what the player’s preference is at this stage.

Hull City were also monitoring the Switzerland international, but have pulled back from their interest, as they explore alternative options following their promotion to the Premier League.

Bislimi signed for Lugano in 2022, and has been a consistent part of the first team in the years since, making a total of 129 appearances in the Swiss Super League.

He’s also competed in European competition, helping the Swiss side qualify for the UEFA Conference League in 2023 and 2024.

It is unclear what kind of fee Lugano will be holding out for in order to cash in on Bislimi.

The midfielder has never played in English football before, but Bristol City and Watford are set to now offer him that opportunity.

Watford have yet to make any signings of their own this summer, with Alessio Dionisi now in charge at Vicarage Road.

Both clubs will be looking to improve their squads in order to get back into promotion contention.

The Robins will begin their campaign at home on 15 August with a clash against Millwall, while Watford will host Southampton on 16 August.

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Uran Bislimi signing could be a real coup for Watford or Bristol City

Bislimi is now 26 and is entering the prime years of his career, and he’s gained a lot of valuable experience up to this point through playing for Switzerland and in the Conference League.

During his time with Lugano, the midfielder has shown that he can be a real attacking threat, providing 16 goals and 12 assists in four seasons.

But more importantly, he’s a steady hand in possession, completing 88.4 per cent of his passes last season, which equated to 58.78 per 90.

He also completed an impressive 64.4 per cent of his long balls, and created 1.6 chances per 90 from a deeper midfield role, so he could prove to be quite an impressive addition for either Bristol City or Watford (all stats from Fotmob).