Bristol City: Fresh Dom Ballard twist revealed as Michael Skubala reacts | OneFootball

A new Bristol City offer has been submitted for prolific Leyton Orient forward Dom Ballard

Bristol City have submitted a fresh offer to Leyton Orient for forward Dom Ballard, with the hopes that they will finally strike a deal for the prolific attacker.

According to Alan Nixon, the Championship club have made an offer worth up to £5 million for the former Southampton striker.

It’s been reported that the Robins have had multiple offers rejected for the Leyton Orient forward already this summer, but uncertainty over his future with the League One side persists.

The Championship club have signed Lorent Tolaj from Plymouth Argyle to bolster their forward options for the next season already, however, their summer business may not end there, with a new offer for Ballard now submitted.

The 21-year-old has a contract with the O’s until June 2028, although the club holds the option for another year.

Ballard contributed 23 goals and four assists for Richie Wellens’ team last season as they finished 20th in the League One table, and he may have now played his final game for the East London outfit.

Bristol City submit Dom Ballard offer amid Michael Skubala comments

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It's believed that the Bristol outfit have submitted an offer worth £5 million, with Leyton Orient now resigned to the player's departure this summer.

And it is also understood that due to Ballard's possible arrival, the future of Emil Riis at Ashton Gate is now uncertain, as the club looks to raise funds for their summer outlay.

Bristol City head coach Michael Skubala refused to discuss the possibility of still signing Ballard on Monday evening, claiming that he is not a Bristol City player and that it isn’t right for him to talk about him.

"[He's] not our player," said the 43-year-old coach, via the BBC.

"So it's not for me to speak about."

The Bristol City boss has claimed that the club are working hard to improve a number of areas in the squad, but that his adaptable style of play means they can take multiple approaches to the transfer window.

“There are areas of the pitch, but again, the way I play, it's quite adaptable, so we look at it in so many different ways,” Skubala added.

"For sure, we're looking at certain positions, and I don't want to give those positions away, but we're looking to improve in certain positions for sure."

Ballard joined Leyton Orient last summer from Southampton after the O’s narrowly missed out on promotion with a play-off final loss to Charlton Athletic.

While Wellens’ side struggled to maintain their competitive level, the forward proved a crucial addition to the squad.

He scored 23 times to help the club avoid relegation to League Two, with the London outfit coming just three points clear of the bottom three.

Bristol City’s summer business looks set to carry on with Dom Ballard bid

Skubala was appointed as the new Bristol City head coach earlier this summer following the departure of Roy Hodgson, who had the role on a temporary basis.

The 43-year-old led Lincoln City to the League One title last season, but has made the jump to their new Championship rival.

And since his arrival as head coach, the Robins have signed Tolaj from Plymouth, as well as defender Lisav Naif Essat and versatile attacking midfielder Sam Greenwood.

Jed Wallace and Brad Collins have joined as free agents, with Gibson Yah and Sam Tickle signing as well for fees.

Bristol City will return to league action on 15 August with a home clash against Millwall, but the transfer window remains open until September 1 to finish all business.

Dom Ballard signing could still be on the cards for Bristol City

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It would be quite the splash for Bristol City to sign both Tolaj and Ballard in the same summer, particularly as that won’t come cheap either.

Pairing the two together certainly has a lot of potential if they can make the jump from League One to the Championship quite seamlessly.

And this latest offer suggests that Skubala is keen to put this duo together, which could prove quite a lethal combination if they can click.

Given Ballard is still only 21, he has plenty of time to grow and develop even if he is behind Tolaj in the pecking order initially, if this deal goes through - and Orient may now be powerless given the size of the bid.