Why Bristol City winger Niclas Eliasson is not a realistic transfer target for Sheffield Wednesday

Bristol City winger Niclas Eliasson is one of the hottest properties in the Championship, having returned 12 assists and three goals in a surprisingly stop-start season with the Robins.
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The prospect of bringing Eliasson, a player who would fit the age and profile of the way Monk would prefer to play, to Sheffield Wednesday evoked supporter memories of the battle to bring highly-rated winger Kadeem Harris to the club on a free transfer last summer.

Confusion reigned over the end contract date of the tricky Swede as quotes from manager Lee Johnson back in January seemed to suggest the club were locked in negotiations to extend the 24-year-old’s stay beyond the end of this season.

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It transpires that the Robins have taken out a negotiation-free extension option on Eliasson, meaning his contract is now up in the summer of 2021, with The Star understanding that the club are expected to ‘cash in’ on the player in the coming months.

Bristol City's Swedish winger Niclas Eliasson is one of the Championship's hottest properties.Bristol City's Swedish winger Niclas Eliasson is one of the Championship's hottest properties.
Bristol City's Swedish winger Niclas Eliasson is one of the Championship's hottest properties.

With a host of European clubs circling, the race for Eliasson is expected to be a multi-million-pound battle that would likely price Wednesday out of contention for his signature.

Burnley, Lazio and Glasgow Celtic are among the clubs expected to head up a bidding war and his agent Hasan Cetinkaya told the Daily Record in January: “Bristol want to keep him for their aims to move up. Then he has an option in his contract the club will use.

“Interest comes from big clubs and major leagues and clubs are looking to buy him now but Bristol has said no. That’s all I can say right now. But in the summer window, something big could happen to Niclas.”

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Of Eliasson’s 34 Championship games this season he has played 90 minutes in only 10, starting on the bench in 16 of those appearances.

Robins boss Lee Johnson told Bristol Live: “He's not the finished article but when Niclas Eliasson is 27 he's going to be amazing. But that's where we are. Probably, at 27, unless we're in the Premier League, there's a good chance he won't be here.

“We have to polish the diamond into a top one and I think he can be.”