Bristol City have signed forward, Dom Ballard from Leyton Orient for an undisclosed transfer fee.
Ballard’s move up to the Championship’s Robins comes after he enjoyed a successful 2025-26 season with 23 goals in 44 appearances, which saw the 21-year-old named as League One’s Player and Young Player of the Season at the EFL Awards and named in League One’s Team of the Season.
He also won League One’s Golden Boot with 23 goals in 40 league appearances to cap a fine season.
Orient unsurprisingly received plenty of interest in Ballard across the summer until Bristol City met their valuation, which led Ballard to join the Robins for an undisclosed fee on a four-year contract until June 2030.
Speaking about his move up a league to Bristol City’s website, Ballard said that he can’t wait to begin life at Ashton Gate and push for promotion to the top flight.
“I am really excited to get going and joining a big club like Bristol City. It is a club where I feel like I can really develop. I spoke to the gaffer and we are aligned on what he wants me to do so there are a lot of positives.
“Last year was unbelievable. I knew I was capable but to go out there and do it was big for me – especially as it was my third year in League One so I felt like it was time for me to push on.
“I want to be a Premier League player and the club wants to be a Premier League team, so the drive is there to do that.”
Bristol City manager, Michael Skubala added: “We’re delighted to add Dom to our squad and we’re excited to see how he grows and what he can bring to our group.
“He performed exceptionally well last season and he’s a motivated and hard-working player. We feel this is a great opportunity for him to grow and develop with us and to fulfil his potential.”
Ballard began his career at Southampton and scored on his senior debut in August 2022 in a 3-0 first-round victory at Cambridge United in the Carabao Cup, which was the first of four appearances in the 2022-23 season before he spent the following season on loan at Reading with five goals in 12 appearances.
He then enjoyed loan stints at Blackpool and Cambridge in the 2024-25 season with three goals in 39 combined appearances.
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