Southampton might have keen eye on Bristol City transfer situation involving Sinclair Armstrong | OneFootball

The Dublin-born striker progressed through Shamrock Rovers' youth system before moving to QPR in 2020

Southampton FC could potentially keep a close eye on Turkish side Goztepe's bid for Bristol City striker Sinclair Armstrong.

The Dublin-born striker progressed through Shamrock Rovers' youth system before moving to QPR in 2020, where he initially joined their U18s.

Earning recognition at senior level with The Republic of Ireland, Armstrong made his debut against the Netherlands, and he's scored eight goals for them at younger age groups.

Goztepe's move for Bristol City striker Sinclair Armstrong

Sky Sports News' Lyall Thomas reported that Goztepe have submitted a €1m (£868k) offer for the 22-year-old striker.

The bid includes options for either a permanent transfer or an initial loan with an obligation to buy, giving the Robins some flexibility as they weigh up their options.

As first exclusively revealed by FLW, Armstrong is understood to be surplus to requirements at Ashton Gate under manager Gerhard Struber, after struggling to make a sizeable impact since his £2.5m move from QPR.

He's managed just three goals in 43 appearances for them across all competitions.

As per Thomas' report, Bristol City are considering the offer - which obviously is a huge loss on their investment, but would allow them to move on a player who doesn't feature in their long-term plans.

With the Turkish transfer window remaining open until Friday (September 12th), there's still time for negotiations to be completed.

Why Southampton might have a keen eye on Sinclair Armstrong

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Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of Armstrong's potential move to Goztepe lies in Southampton's ownership structure.

Sport Republic acquired their 70% stake in the Turkish club in August 2022 - making it the first foreign investment in Turkish football.

The firm is led by Serbian billionaire Dragan Solak, and they tookover the Saints in January that same year for £100m, before becoming involved in Goztepe.

Rasmus Ankersen, Sport Rebulic's CEO who now chairs Goztepe, has veen vocal about the perks of this arrangement in the past. Speaking at a Goztepe fans' forum, Ankersen explained, "It becomes a win for Southampton because we can help make these players ready for the Premier League.

It becomes a win for Goztepe because we get a player that's above the level of what we normally would be able to attract here in our situation right now," he added.

Although Juan Silva and Mateusz Lis later joined Goztepe permanently, they were both initially on loan from Southampton, and Kuryu Matsuki spent the 24/25 season on loan there as well.

What the bigger picture for Southampton could be with Sinclair Armstrong

There's no doubt that Southampton's multi-club ownership model remains a work in progress, with fans of the Hampshire club yet to really see any benefits.

However, the Armstrong situation is an example of how the connection could work in their favour. Rather than competing with other Premier League/Championship clubs for players, Saints can develop them within their own system.

For Armstrong specifically, regular football in the Turkish top-flight could reignite his career after a disappointing spell at Bristol City. The 22-year-old hasn't scored since November, but he made his League of Ireland debut at 15 - so arguably there's still a lot of raw talent there and he's still a good age.

As Ankeresen explained - being the club's CEO - "I'm not putting Goztepe in the second rank, I'm putting it in the first rank and I'm trying to create a situation where everyone wins and I really believe this is a competitive advantage for Goztepe.

This could ultimately benefit Southampton as you'd like to think they'll have first dibs on any of Goztepe's better players.