Tomi Horvat link addressed as Gerhard Struber issues latest Bristol City January transfer update | Bristol Live

Bristol City have been linked with a summer move for Slovenia international and Sturm Graz midfielder Tomi Hovart

Tomi Hovart is a player on Bristol City's radar, but "nothing is done yet," Gerhard Struber has explained whilst providing the latest update on the Robins' search for a new striker and wider plans for the January transfer window.

The Robins are reportedly in talks with Sturm Graz midfielder Hovart, with discussions understood to be focused around a potential move to Ashton Gate this summer, with the Austrian side keen to keep the 26-year-old beyond the end of the winter transfer window.

Horvart has played 28 times for Sturm Graz in all competitions this term, scoring four goals and laying on six assists for his teammates across outings in the Austrian Bundesliga, Champions League qualifying, and the Europa League.

While he stopped short of confirming that any deal had been completed at this stage when he met the media on Wednesday, Struber was open in his praise of Hovart, admitting that he would be a good addition to the current squad in BS3.

"Tomi Horvat is, I would say, a really interesting player with, I would say, a profile that would fit in our world of football in a really good way," the head coach said when asked about the links with the Sturm Graz player. "Nothing is done yet, but it's a player we have really close on our radar.

"When a player with this profile, on this level, will jump from Austria to England, of course, this is a long-term project," Struber added. "We will see what the future brings, but when you ask me about him, I would say he's a really interesting player on a really high level.

"I think he showed this also in some games in the Champions League, in the Europa League. He was always a player in Sturm Graz on a really high level, very consistent with his performances, a national player from Slovenia, so in all directions, he would check my personal box."

Although they haven't spent an awful lot of money so far this winter, the Robins have been busy in the early stages of the January transfer window to boost both their first-team and academy ranks.

Former Liverpool youngster Ranel Young has made the switch to south Bristol and has initially linked up with the Under-21s squad, while Sam Morsy and George Earthy have both joined Struber's side, the former as a free agent and the latter on loan from West Ham United.

The business completed so far has strengthened City's squad, however, Struber has made no secret of his desire to add a new centre-forward to his ranks this month. The head coach has been open about the need for such a signing since the final days of the summer window and has repeatedly suggested that such an addition is close to being made since New Year's Eve.

The hope remains that a new forward will make the move to south Bristol sooner rather than later, with an announcement ahead of Saturday's trip to Oxford United not totally out of the question as hard work continues behind the scenes at the HPC.

"Good; we go closer and closer," Struber said on the search for a new striker. "We hope we can do it in the next couple of days, but this is not only in our hands. We work really hard and hope that we can finish this quickly.

"I want to bring no one under stress," the head coach added to Bristol Live on the prospect of a deal being completed before the weekend's meeting with Oxford. "Everyone knows, the coach would be super happy when it is [done] yesterday.

"But we work here in a good direction, and I hope we can realise it in the next few days. This would be great."

When asked if it was the same player who had been close earlier in January, or if conversations had been held with other forwards, Struber continued, "We have, of course, more targets and we speak with everyone more and more and a little bit deeper and deeper.

"We are with these players, in negotiations in the end, where we have a feeling this could make sense, and in this way, we are closer, of course, and further in the process."