Bristol City boss Sean O’Driscoll has confirmed that he wants to keep winger Paul Anderson at Ashton Gate as the Robins look to return to the Championship at the first attempt. The 24-year-old is the subject of a swap deal proposed by the Blues which would see Jay Emmanuel-Thomas move in the opposite direction.

O’Driscoll told the Bristol Post that he’d like both players in his squad next season if possible but says there’s a long way to go before any deal is done: "Paul Anderson is not a player I would ideally want to let go. He fits in with what I am trying to do here next season.

"That, plus the fact Jay cost a lot of money when he moved to Ipswich from Arsenal, mean a deal is still a long way off.

"We were approached to take Jay and I had him at Doncaster and think he's a talented boy. But he is on Championship money and we are a League One club.

"Wage-wise we cannot compete and there is a lot of work to be done before something can be agreed. We are talking financial matters at the moment and that is as far as things have gone."

The Blues are believed to have paid at least an initial £1 million for Emmanuel-Thomas when he moved to Portman Road two years ago - clauses in the deal could have taken the figure to £2 million - and are said to want to recoup that fee, but the League One Robins are unlikely to be in a position to pay anything like that as they look to cut costs following their relegation.

Emmanuel-Thomas, who was yesterday charged with misconduct by the FA, did not travel to Ireland with the rest of the Town squad.

Meanwhile, youngsters David October, Amir Berkane and Kyle Hammond underwent the now traditional initiation into the first team squad at the Blues' training camp at Carton House in County Kildare last night when they were made to sing in front of their more senior team-mates.

Right-back Hammond tweeted: "Singing in front of the first team wasn't the best experience of my life!"

Photo: Action Images

suffolkpunchdrunk added 18:57 - Jul 2 h32 - Love the passion that comes across in your Benitez style rant! Hoping that the third in the trilogy of headlines will be 'O'Driscoll confirms he really, really, really, wants to keep Anderson and ya boo sucks to anyone else who wants him.'
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Pessimistic added 19:20 - Jul 2 No money in the kitty again mean more loan deals and freebies because it has all been spent by Messrs Keane and Jewell and are chances of having aa great season are quite frankly small.
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itfc_since_birth added 19:45 - Jul 2 McGugan gone!
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walberswick added 19:49 - Jul 2 swap deal for anderson, give them chopra, jet and cresswell
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Keaneish added 20:40 - Jul 2 Disappointed we never went for McGugan! Bags of goals in him. If Zola's snapped him up and Watford play like they did last season, he'll be a really decent signing for then! Oh well. All of our links seem to be joining other clubs. Any red hot, nailed on exciting links for us Phil!?
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Letchworth_Blue added 20:45 - Jul 2 Pessimistic, why are the chances of having a great season small? When MM brought in the loanees etc last season, our season improved! Now he has made many of these signings permanent, why would it be foolish to expect an OPTIMISTIC season ahead?
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