Preston North End, Blackburn & Charlton Athletic eyeing Bristol City wing-back in £0 deal | OneFootball

Preston North End, Blackburn Rovers, and Charlton Athletic are interested in signing Bristol City star Mark Sykes, who is out of contract this summer

Preston North End, Blackburn Rovers and Charlton Athletic have all turned their attention to one of Bristol City's out of contract assets ahead of the summer transfer window.

North End and Rovers have already secured their Championship status ahead of next season, whereas the Addicks still have work to do to avoid the drop to League One.

Charlton were beaten 2-1 by Ipswich Town on home soil on Wednesday, leaving them six points above the second-tier drop zone with two games remaining.

Nathan Jones' men know that they must avoid defeat against either Hull City or Swansea City to ensure that they are a Championship outfit next term.

Preston North End, Charlton Athletic, and Blackburn Rovers eye versatile Bristol City wing-back

Bristol City began the second-tier campaign with plenty of optimism, having successfully landed a play-off spot last term.

However, the West Country outfit have failed to keep pace with the top six this time around, and sit 12th with just two Championship games remaining.

As a result of the Robins' shortcomings this term, former boss Gerhard Struber was sacked last month, and replaced with current interim head coach Roy Hodgson until the end of the campaign.

However, Bristol City's failings this season don't wholly rest with Struber, as then key players Anis Mehmeti and Zak Vyner were sold to Ipswich Town and Wrexham, respectively, in the winter transfer window.

Supporters have voiced their discontent at Robins owner Steve Lansdown in recent weeks, while the summer transfer window is set to be busy regardless of who replaces Hodgson.

The Ashton Gate outfit are set to oversee arrivals and departures ahead of next season, and with player exits in mind, Football Insider's Pete O'Rourke has revealed via X that Preston, Blackburn and Charlton are all eyeing moves for Robins wing-back Mark Sykes.

Sykes' Bristol City contract expires this summer, meaning that he will be available to suitors on a free transfer.

The 28-year-old has been a key asset for the West Country club since joining in the summer of 2022, having formerly played for Oxford United, and has racked up 152 appearances in all competitions, scoring 18 goals.

Sykes is a versatile player who is equally comfortable playing as both a midielder, winger and in more recent years as wing-back, and he could have a number of other suitors for his services this summer.

Bristol City should be disappointed to potentially lose Mark Sykes on a free transfer

The Robins signed Sykes on a free transfer four years ago, after his Oxford contract expired, but they should still be disappointed by the fact that they will not recoup a fee for his trustworthy services.

Bristol City supporters' fondest memories of the Ireland international will be his performances from last season, which helped them earn a Championship play-off spot for the first time since winning the League One title back in 2015.

However, he has always been a reliable asset for the Ashton Gate club, and recently proved his quality when he scored as Hodgson's men defeated Sheffield United 1-0 on Easter Monday.

That victory over the Blades has helped ensure that the Robins will land a top-half finish in the Championship if they avoid dropping points against Birmingham City and Stoke City in their last two games.

Meanwhile, one of Blackburn, Preston, or Charlton could strike transfer gold by signing Sykes for free, and his departure will likely be something that Bristol City go on to regret.