Why Bristol City have struck gold with a new deal for Callum O’Dowda

According to Bristol Live, Republic of Ireland international Callum O’Dowda has finally poured cold water on all the speculations over his future by putting pen to paper on a new three-year deal at Bristol City. 

The 24-year-old Oxfordshire-born winger has committed his long-term future at Ashton Gate and the new contract is supposed to keep him at the club until the summer of 2023, with the option of a further twelve months included in the agreement. (h/t Bristol Live)

With his previous contract set to expire in 2020, O’Dowda looked poised for a departure all throughout the summer transfer window, with Leeds United, Fulham and Nottingham Forest touted as his next possible destinations. (h/t Bristol Live) 

However, after months of negotiations that included plenty of strained relationships, claims and counter-claims, the Irishman decided that Ashton Gate is where his future lies. 

Indeed, O’Dowda’s departure this summer would have been a big blow to Bristol City’s promotion-hopes, especially after the big-money sales of defenders Lloyd Kelly and Adam Webster to Bournemouth and Brighton respectively, and the news of his new contract is likely to come as a breath of fresh air to the fans at Ashton Gate.

The Robins completed a triple raid on Chelsea to sign Tomas Kalas, Jay Dasilva and Kasey Palmer on permanent deals earlier in the summer, while also spending big to land wonder kid Han-Noah Massengo from Monaco.

Well, those deals in the transfer market clearly embodied the club’s ambitions to mount a serious challenge for promotion to the top-flight this term, having fallen agonisingly short in their pursuit of a playoff place in the previous campaign.

And the Robins’ exciting recruitment policy might have played a big part in convincing Callum O’Dowda to commit his future to the club.

Meanwhile, the Robins currently find themselves 5th in the Championship standings with three wins and two draws in their first six games and Lee Johnson will be hoping for his team to continue their five-game unbeaten run, and possibly, pick up all three points when they make the trip to Stoke City this weekend after the end of the international break. 

To put things into perspective, it is not difficult to see why and how Bristol City have struck gold with a new contract for Callum O’Dowda, who is certainly one of the most talented attackers at the club.

The 24-year-old has started only once in the league thus far this term but one would expect him to feature a lot more in the coming weeks after the fresh agreement.

Signed from Oxford United back in the summer of 2016, O’Dowda has found himself in and out of the playing eleven at Ashton Gate due to a few injuries over the past three years.

While a tally of 7 goals and 15 assists in 106 appearances don’t look all that good on paper, Bristol City’s decision to secure his long-term future is definitely a massive boost to their promotion hopes.

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Now that his future is sorted out, the Robins will be hoping for him to kick on and fulfil his promise in the years to come.

Ever since his days at Oxford’s youth setup, the 24-year-old has been regarded as a player with the potential to go on and ply his trade at the highest level and Bristol City can certainly look forward to enjoying the fruits of his prime years which still lie ahead of him.