Bristol City's new manager Michael Skubala knows all about League One after his Lincoln side dominated the third tier last season and he has reportedly targeted a prolific striker from his old division to join his new club.
City have had a bid for Leyton Orient star Dom Ballard turned down by the London club, according to reporter Alan Nixon, but the exciting 21-year-old showcased the potential to play at a higher level in his breakout season last term and the second-tier team may well be back with an improved offer.
City looking to boost firepower after a challenging season
The Robins finished 12th in the Championship last season, which was their third consecutive top-half finish but still a step back from their 2024-25 campaign, when they made the playoffs in sixth place.
They scored only 59 goals in 46 league games, though, and increasing their firepower is clearly one of Skubala's priorities after he made the tough decision to leave the promoted Imps for another club in the same division.
City's top scorer last year was Scott Twine with 11 goals, while Emil Riis Jakobsen contributed nine, but Sam Bell was third with just five league goals, so there is clearly room for improvement.
The Robins are joint-13th in the betting to win the Championship next season at 40/1, and they are 10/1 to win promotion, but they are favourites to win their opening match, having been installed at 6/4 to beat Millwall, who just missed out on promotion last season, when the campaign kicks off on Saturday, 15 August.
The club have already brought in goalkeeper Sam Tickle from Wigan and winger Sam Greenwood, who played in Poland for Pogon Szczecin last season, but bagging Ballard would be a real boost for their prospects.
Ballard ready to kick on after breakout season
Ballard came through the youth academy at Southampton, making two first-team appearances for the Saints, and he also had loan spells at Reading, Blackpool and Cambridge United, but he never scored more than three goals for a team before finding success at Orient last season.
The striker signed a three-year deal with the Os in September 2025 and, while the team had a tough season overall, finishing just above the relegation line in 20th, it's fair to say that Ballard's goals made the difference in keeping them in League One.
He notched his first Orient goal in their opening league game of the season, a 3-2 win against Port Vale, and took his tally to six with a hat-trick against Doncaster in October.
Ballard netted nine goals in the space of nine league games in the middle of the season, culminating with another hat-trick in a 3-1 win over Reading in January.
March brought a double against Stevenage and a third hat-trick in a 4-2 win at AFC Wimbledon and Ballard's scoring success went all the way to the final game of the season as he netted his team's last goal of the campaign in a 2-2 draw against Burton.
A goal poacher and ruthless finisher, Ballard is the type of player it is increasingly hard to find in the modern game, so it's no surprise that he caught the eye of the shrewd Skubala when finishing four clear at the top of the League One top scorer list with 23 goals.
He looks well worth a try at the higher level and at just 21 he has time on his side and huge potential.
City have the potential for a fast start
Whether or not they are able to add the prolific Ballard to their ranks, City have a chance to get their new era under Skubala off to a decent start. While Millwall are a tough first test, the Robins are at least at home for that match, although they will be looking to improve on last season's form at Ashton Gate where they lost more league matches (10) than they won (nine).
Games against Birmingham, Portsmouth and Preston offer opportunities to put some points on the board before they face the first of the relegated teams, Burnley, in early September.
The match after that is the one that Skubala will have circled on his calendar, though, as Bristol City will be paid a midweek visit by his former club, Lincoln, and he will want to have his new side settled down and in form for that clash.
