Bristol City should solve striker woes with 15-goal EFL man - Southampton may be regretting selling him | OneFootball

Bristol City should move for Leyton Orient's Dom Ballard to solve their striker woes this month

Dom Ballard has been on fire since his summer switch from Southampton to League One Leyton Orient, leading the third-tier goalscoring charts, as Bristol City should move to solve their striker problems with the addition of the 20-year-old.

Bristol City, fresh off the back of achieving a top-six finish in the Championship for the first time in 17 years, have resumed their usual position of being in and around the mid-table positions.

Liam Manning departed during the summer to become the new head coach of Norwich City, with former Barnsley boss Gerhard Struber coming in to replace him.

The Robins have blown hot and cold at various stages of this season, and though they sit some way off the automatic positions, still have the top six within their sights once again.

However, with Emil Riis often flattering to deceive, Sinclair Armstrong continuing to struggle in front of goal, and Fally Mayulu out with an injury, they may have to look for a fresh alternative up top this month, with Leyton Orient's Dom Ballard a potential option.

Bristol City should move for Leyton Orient's Dom Ballard this month to fix striker woes

Ballard has been electric since his move to East London this summer, having scored 15 goals and grabbed three assists in 20 league games thus far.

Despite the O's falling some way short of the standards they had set themselves last season, reaching the League One play-off final, Ballard has been a real shining light this campaign.

A product of the Southampton academy, Ballard would head out on three separate loan spells to the likes of Reading, Blackpool, and Cambridge United prior to his move this summer, having never really shone in any of those spells.

Orient took a gamble on the 20-year-old last summer, paying the Saints a six-figure fee to acquire his services on a three-year deal.

Ballard has paid them back and then some so far, and if he can continue firing in the goals at Brisbane Road, it won't be long before teams in the leagues above come calling.

Bristol City have failed to adequately replace Nahki Wells since the Bermudan departed for Luton Town in the summer, with neither of the aforementioned Riis, Armstrong, or Mayulu firing on all cylinders.

The Robins should consider a swift move for the young prodigy, who will add a completely different dimension to their front line, being someone they can develop and sell for a huge profit as they have done so successfully in years gone by.

Bristol City have been excellent at identifying young talent before selling them on for a profit years later, which, whilst frustrating for Robins fans, has seen them steadily emerge as a side who mustn't be counted out of the play-off conversation year-on-year.

The likes of Antoine Semenyo, Alex Scott, Lloyd Kelly, Bobby De Cordova-Reid, and Adam Webster have passed through Ashton Gate in recent years before being sold for a healthy profit and flourishing elsewhere.

Ballard fits the mould of the Robins' recruitment strategy, and could be a perfect fit for Struber's side, both for the here and now, and for the future also.

With Bristol City having seen an £11 million windfall following Semenyo's mega move to Manchester City from Bournemouth, the Robins will have money to spend, and will likely be able to afford Ballard if they want.

Considering he only joined Orient in the summer, he won't come cheap, but the Robins likely wouldn't struggle to find the money, and should make a swift move for the former Southampton man before another side gets there before them.

With a move for Middlesbrough's Delano Burgzorg falling through and Anis Mehmeti heading to Ipswich Town, Struber's side will be in need of recruits entering the final week of the January window, and Ballard could prove to be the perfect fit.