Bristol City's first summer target is confirmed, with Wigan's Joe Williams on Dean Holden's shopping list.
As the Latics head into League One following their relegation, Williams is expected to part ways with the club for around £2.5m, according to the Sun, and Bristol Live understands that the Robins are keen to bring him to Ashton Gate.
And with good reason. The 23-year-old turned heads in the Championship this season as one of the shining lights in a desperate Wigan side headed for administration, making 38 appearances in midfield.
Bristol City do have options at the base of midfield, with Adam Nagy, Han-Noah Massengo and Joe Morrell all good options, however fans have been consistently calling out for a central man with more bite.
With City reportedly battling Middlesbrough, Leeds United and West Brom for his signature, we've taken a look at what he can bring to the Robins midfield in the absence of the recently departed Korey Smith.
Williams is a tough-tackler in the mould of old school defensive midfielders like Roy Keane, but with a technical ability similar to that of Crystal Palaces’ Luka Milivojevic who seeks to create from deep.
With such comparisons, it’s not surprising to see his strengths as a destroyer lie in his dribbling, blocking and long balls, while his weakness is his discipline; something City fans won't mind putting up with if he shows the same passion on the pitch as Smith did.
According to Whoscored, Williams averages an impressive 1.8 tackles a game and 0.4 blocks, a rate comparable to that of Korey Smith who clocked up similar numbers in the Championship last year (1.5 tackles per game, 0.4 blocks). Williams also averages 1.1 fouls per game, exactly the same as Smith.
But offensively, Williams outperforms many of his contemporaries – especially those at other ‘weaker’ clubs, having clocked up three assists this season from deep to go with his solitary goal.
His passing accuracy of 81.2% this season is also impressive given the midfielder tends to prefer playing the ball off the ground, averaging 3.4 long balls per game. And while shooting from distance may be a dying art, Williams’ average of one shot per game – often from outside the box – shows he is happy to have a go at goal, though managed just the one this season.
For some that may be considered a weakness, but Williams is keen to put himself about the pitch and get involved at both ends, something he is able to do thanks to his excellent work rate and stamina, which is something City perhaps missed throughout last season.
However, like many other others in his position, Williams’ over enthusiasm for the game can translate into poor discipline.
The youngster received 13 yellow cards this season along with one red. Regardless of style, that’s a part of his game that any new manager will be keen to temper should he move this summer.
But at just 23, any new manager will have time to fine tune his game and develop a player who can still adapt his game to new styles.
If his work rate on the pitch is reflected in his work in the training ground, then he’s a manager’s dream, and it’s clear why the Robins have him on their shopping list.
