Football / Bristol City
City fill vacant number 9 shirt
Ever since the release of this season’s Bristol City squad numbers on Tuesday, speculation has been rife as to who would fill the vacant number nine shirt.
That speculation has been put to bed today with the signing of England under-19 striker Tammy Abraham on a year-long loan from Chelsea. The 18-year-old has agreed terms and will go straight into the squad for City’s season opener against Wigan on Saturday.
After last summer’s failed attempts to secure another striker, with deals for both Andre Grey and Dwight Gayle falling through, many fans felt that signing support upfront for Kodjia and Wilbraham should be among this summer’s top priorities.
is needed now More than ever
The Robins’ faithful may, however, have been envisioning a bigger name to wrap up what has already been a busy summer, with City having made seven signings including Lee Tomlin and Hordur Magnusson.
What Abraham lacks in experience, he seems to make up for in goal scoring prowess. The 6ft 3in striker has scored 74 goals in 98 matches for Chelsea’s various youth teams, as well as seven international goals for England at under-18 and under-19 level.
“Tammy is a top class player who I believe has a very bright future in the game,” said Head Coach Lee Johnson.
“We’re delighted that all of the club’s hard work has paid off. He’s one we’ve been chasing for a long time and we’ve remained patient to get this deal over the line in time for the new season.”
Bristol City begin their 2016/17 Championship campaign against Wigan at Ashton Gate on Saturday at 3pm. Similar to Bristol City last season, the Latics are returning to the Championship as League One champions after one year away.
The Robins’ defense will have to be sharp, as they face up against Will Grigg, who had the season of his life last year. The Northern Irish international scored 25 league goals, was selected for the European Championships and was the subject of the “Will Grigg’s on Fire” football chant which took the world by storm (including reaching number seven in the iTunes charts).
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