SWINDON Town midfielder Yaser Kasim has received an offer to move to the Championship with Bristol City, the Advertiser understand.
The offer from Town’s near neighbours is understood to be one of three deals now on the table, with Swindon putting offering the Iraqi midfielder a chance to stay at the County Ground past the expiration of his current contract at the end of June.
The third bid for the 26-year-old has come from Spain and Kasim is thought to be weighing up his options before committing to his future.
Kasim, who turned down a professional contract at Tottenham Hotspur during his youth career, was plucked from non-league obscurity, having played for Luton Town and Macclesfield Town, in the summer of 2013.
The midfielder has gone on to make 119 league appearances for the club, becoming a firm fan favourite in the process and having helped Swindon to the League One play-off final two years ago, his stock was at its highest, with reported links to a move to the Premier League with Swansea and West Ham United.
However, they failed to materialise and on his return from the Asian Cup, where he helped Iraq to the semi-finals, Kasim started to look a shadow of his former self and was hit by a knee ligament injury that ruled him out of a large part of Town’s run in.
With no move away from Swindon transpiring that January or in the summer following, Kasim headed into the final year of his contract this year, which has been blighted with injury.
In February this year, Town's then head coach Luke Williams, who was pivotal in bringing Kasim to the club having known him from his time at Brighton & Hove Albion, conceded that it could be best for all involved if Kasim sought a move away from the County Ground when his deal expires at the end of June.
“I think Yaser in top form is as good a player as you’ll see at this level for sure, unfortunately he doesn’t seem to be able to quite find it,” Williams said.
“I think that is a realistic scenario in the summer; that he will leave and find a new home and maybe reinvigorate himself and start to play the football he is capable of.”
It has been reported that Kasim is set to re-join the Iraq national team set-up for their World Cup qualifiers, which resume with a game against group leaders Japan next month.
The 26-year-old has had a chequered history with the national side, having announced his international retirement two years ago following a disagreement with former captain Younis Mahmoud, before returning to the fold and subsequently being axed last October.
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