Everton FC considering Bristol City transfer swoop for 37-cap international | OneFootball

Jason Knight is on the Toffees' radar ahead of the summer window

Premier League side Everton are considering a move for Bristol City midfielder Jason Knight ahead of the summer transfer window after the Robins failed to get to the play-off final this week, according to a new report.

Liam Manning's side ended their Championship campaign in disappointing fashion on Monday evening as they were beaten 3-0 by Sheffield United at Bramall Lane to lose 6-0 on aggregate in the play-off semi-finals, after they had impressively clinched a sixth-placed finish in the regular season.

The Robins could now struggle to keep hold of some of their key men in the summer window, and Knight, who has been one of their standout players over the last few years in the middle of the park, may well be on the move soon.

Everton tracking Bristol City's Jason Knight ahead of potential summer approach

Knight made a move to Ashton Gate in 2023 from Derby County for a reported fee of around £2 million, after he had impressed with the Rams over the previous four years in both the Championship and League One.

The central midfielder was an ever-present in the league in his debut campaign with the Robins, and was again in his second season as he improved even further to land the club's Player of the Year and Players' Player of the Year awards last week.

His tenacious, all-action style of play has seen him emerge as one of the second-tier's top midfielders over the last few months, and it comes as little surprise to see him linked with a Premier League move ahead of the summer, as a result.

TEAMtalk have reported that Everton have been scouting Knight this season and are considering a move in the coming weeks to bolster their options in the middle of the park, with Idrissa Gana Gueye and Abdoulaye Doucoure possibly set to leave at the end of their campaign.

They also claim that their play-off defeat and subsequent Championship stay means that they are inevitably at risk of losing key players like Knight, while the Robins are yet to place a price tag on the 24-year-old, but if the Toffees submit a good offer they will stand a chance of signing him.

Knight has been a standout in the Championship - Liam Manning has backed him to go to the top

Knight's impact on Bristol City's fortunes over the last two seasons can not be understated, as he is yet to miss a league game for the club since he joined nearly two years ago, and is their club-captain after being handed the armband by boss Manning last summer despite being one of the younger players in his squad.

He notched seven goals and four assists in 52 appearances in 2023/24, while he registered three goals and six assists in 50 appearances in the season just gone. His quality has seen him praised by Manning in recent weeks, and the Robins' head-coach believes he has the potential to play at an even higher level soon.

"Phenomenal (when asked about Knight's season). I love him to bits, I think he's first class," he told BristolLive.

"He has a huge future ahead of him when you just look at everything about him. It hit us on day one walking through the door, he role models everything that you want and I think he's really added the leadership and the voice in the changing room. I think he's really grown that over the course of the season.

"His game understanding, I think, has massively improved. He's got to work on his finishing off his left foot because an inch lower and it would have made my life a lot easier, but he's a dream to work with.

"He's one of those that, again, he's so driven and that's exactly what we want."

Knight is clearly a top midfielder at Championship level, and the fact he boasts 37 international caps for the Republic of Ireland only further highlights his potential to play for a higher-placed team in the near future.

Everton boss David Moyes has a great history of signing second-tier players and developing them into Premier League stars, with the likes of Tim Cahill and Jarrod Bowen a clear example of exactly that. Knight could well be the next on that list, with a move away from Ashton Gate certainly seeming likely right now.