Bristol City boss Gary Johnson admits he had 'nothing to lose' in asking Martin Jol about signing Evander Sno.
Robins boss reveals how deal for Ajax midfielder came about
Bristol City boss Gary Johnson admits he had 'nothing to lose' in asking Ajax coach Martin Jol about signing Evander Sno.
The Championship club completed a season-long loan deal for Sno on transfer deadline day, with Alvaro Saborio joining the Dutchman at Ashton Gate.
Sno played against the Robins in a pre-season friendly when Johnson first registered his interest in signing the former Celtic midfielder.
Johnson outlined how a deal for Sno came about and he is confident the 22-year-old will prove to be a quality addition to his squad.
Joking
"I decided I had nothing to lose and that I would have a word with Martin Jol," Johnson told the
Bristol Evening Post.
"I asked if I could take Evander on loan and he looked at me for a moment and then said 'maybe.' To be honest, I thought he was joking at the time.
"Evander had signed for the previous Ajax manager, Marco van Basten, and was not Martin Jol's player.
"I remember hearing someone tell me back in the summer that he was busy bringing in his own players. I then remembered what Martin had said to me at Ashton Gate and decided to put it to the test.
"It just goes to show what can happen in these situations. I don't think anyone thought losing to Ajax was so great at the time, but it's ended up benefiting us.
"We've signed a quality player and it wouldn't have happened had we not had the game with Ajax. It's all about making contacts."
