BRISTOL CITY TRANSFER LATEST: Robins still pushing for Matt Smith deal, but Fulham reluctant to sell. BRISTOL City are still in for Fulham striker Matt Smith – but their chances of landing him ahead of Monday's 11pm transfer deadline appear to be receding. The Robins have already tabled at least one bid for the 27-year-old former Leeds and Oldham forward and are prepared to pull out all the stops to bring him to Ashton Gate. But the chances of Fulham agreeing to sell Smith are heavily dependent upon the Cottagers keeping hold of in-demand first-choice strikers Moussa Dembele and Ross McCormack. Dembele is wanted by Premier League Tottenham, while McCormack is being aggressively targeted by Championship promotion hopefuls Middlesbrough. Although Fulham have told Boro McCormack is not the sale, the Scot yesterday handed in a written transfer request, increasing the pressure on the Craven Cottage board of directors. And sources in London today suggest Tottenham are close to pushing through a deal for Dembele. City will be hoping Tottenham agree to loan the teenage forward back to Fulham until the end of the season, but the Premier League outfit are not keen on the idea. Should Tottenham fail in their move for the 19-year-old, Monaco and Wolfsburg will bid to take advantage. Meanwhile, Middlesbrough have made a succession of approaches to Fulham this month in an attempt to sign McCormack, but have been unable to persuade the Cottagers' hierarchy to agree to a deal. The Teessiders have raised the possibility of an £8m offer and McCormack is understood to have indicated a firm desire to move on before the transfer window closes on Monday. The striker has submitted a transfer request in an attempt to force Fulham's hand, only to be informed that there is currently no desire to allow him to leave. Bristol City officials are monitoring what is already a complicated situation in the hope that they can push through a deal for Smith, who scored 13 goals in 23 appearances during a hugely successful loan spell at Ashton Gate last season. Just four points above the Championship drop zone, the London outfit are reluctant to sell to a relegation rival and eager to guard against leaving manager Slavisa Jokanovic short of firepower for the final three months of the campaign. City are prepared to pursue Smith up until deadline day itself but are also considering alternative targets. The Robins have already recruited five players during this window and interim manage John Pemberton is still in the market for a centre forward and a midfield player. http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/BRISTOL-CITY-TRANSFER-LATEST/story-28630403-detail/story.html
