20-year-old Swedish striker Gustav Engvall joined Bristol City at the end of the summer transfer window last year, joining the Robins from Swedish side IFK Gothenburg on a three-year deal with an option of a further year for a fee thought to be in the region of £2 million.
At the time of his signing, City head coach Lee Johnson said of his capture: “I’m delighted we’ve been able to bring Gustav to Ashton Gate. He’s a Swedish international who has excellent finishing ability. I’m sure he will adjust quickly to the pace and tempo of the Sky Bet Championship and when he does he’ll be really dangerous.”
However, the young Swede has struggled to gain any kind of meaningful foothold in the Ashton Gate side’s first team, has made just two appearances in the Sky Bet Championship totalling a mere 40 minutes. Frustrated at not being able to break through into the side, a side being led by 19 goals from on-loan Chelsea youngster Tammy Abraham, a loan move was said to be close that would have taken the young Swede back to his homeland with Djurgården in news according to the Swedish press.
An injury to Chelsea loanee Abraham has forced a rethink from the Robins who refused yesterday to ratify the loan of Engvall back to Sweden with 19-goal striker Abraham expected to be out and sidelined for around two to three weeks with his injury. In an article in Swedish press publication Ölandsbladet, Engvall gave his reasons behind wanting a loan move away from Bristol and back to his homeland.
Quick to say that he “likes” his time in Bristol, the two-cap Sweden international says that it is international representation that is at the forefront of his mind and that he is simply looking for game time. Speaking to Ölandsbladet Engvall said: “I want to play the U21 European Championships this summer and then I have to get matches. I do not get it here soon, so I probably will not get it then, either. Then the U21 European Championships in danger and it would be hard to miss.“
Reflecting philosophically on the prospect of a potential loan deal still being active, the 20-year-old said that “the door is not closed for a loan,” but does admit that it will depend upon the length of time that Tammy Abraham is out of the side for.
The one criticism that Engvall did have for his time in Bristol was not directed at the club in any way, rather it was directed at the local newspaper and how it reported an injury that the young frontman had suffered. When asked about a Bristol Post article saying that he was ‘injured’, Engvall replied with a hint of sarcasm: “I also read it, I was shocked! I got a bang in a game, but there was no danger. I feel great. They write as they like over here.”
