City under no pressure to sell players - Ashton Tuesday, January 2nd 2018 City will be looking to recruit during the January transfer window but are under no pressure to sell players. That's the message from the club's chief executive officer Mark Ashton, with head coach Lee Johnson insisting new faces will help the current setup. The CEO and Johnson have spoken exclusively to BCTV about their plans. The transfer window opened on New Year's Day and closes at 11pm on January 31st. The club is adamant any new signings will help, not unsettle the squad. BUSINESS AS USUAL Ashton said: "We’ve been working hard for a number of months now on both a January and summer transfer windows. We try to work two windows in advance, we try to plan as best as we can and that’s not easy at times. "It is business as usual. We have spent a lot of time building a squad, a group, a culture at this football club over the last six to nine months and we’re not going to unsettle that. "We will look to go into the market, that’s for sure, and people keep asking ‘are we going to sell players?’ Let me be clear: Steve (Lansdown, owner) has not put us under any pressure to sell players. "Any players that leaves this football club, if they do leave this FC, as and when will be when we deem it appropriate. "Our players are under contract, we’re trying to build something here, so it’s business as usual and we’re in a good place." NOT AN EASY TRANSFER WINDOW Former City midfielder-turned-head coach Johnson spoke about potentially dipping his toes into the transfer window, following the Aston Villa result on New Year's Day. He said: "Yes but it’s not easy. We have very good players who may have not looked like that against Aston Villa, particularly when the Villa fans were mocking us. "We’ll see who ends up higher by the end of the league but I think it’s important that we give the lads a little bit of help so we’ll do our very best. We have names but it is not an easy window to recruit in. "We’ve got to bring the right characters in, the right humans, very good footballers but character is massively important now because the next league game is an important game." Johnson has confirmed that winger Jonathan Leko has returned to his parent club West Brom. He said he "goes back with our best wishes". https://www.bcfc.co.uk/news/city-under-no-pressure-to-sell-players-ashton/
"We will look to go into the market, that’s for sure, and people keep asking ‘are we going to sell players?’ Let me be clear: Steve (Lansdown, owner) has not put us under any pressure to sell players. So if Flinty or Joe go, it's mammoth buck's only or no dice..
Flinty can go imo as long as it's for an astronomical price. As much as I love the guy, if we start talking Kodjia-money then that is insane for a player like him. Joe Bryan is currently indispensable to us though. I'm not sure even £20m would justify selling the guy.
Everyone and everything has its price. Much though I don't want to see any of our players leave, if a deal is good financially and the Manager thinks he can improve the squad with the proceeds then it's a no brainer.
I understand if the price is right we can not ignore, the target has to be keeping a happy squad....we have a good set of players who seem to be playing for the manager, have to be very careful not to change that. I'd say no more than 2 or 3 quality signings would be enough without disruption..Of course, players that don't want to be here, need to move on..
We may be under no pressure to sell, but we are under more pressure than ever to BUY if we want to avoid a slide down the table.
They do mention these in their EP article...Lee Johnson’s side have also been credited with having interest in the likes of Liam Walsh, Maikel Kieftenbeld and Robin Lod leading up to the winter transfer window. http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/bristol-city-owner-steve-lansdown-998699
That’s all well and good but I’d be surprised if anyone arrives quickly. I would expect contract discussions to drag on for several weeks - during which time we have some tough fixtures for our exhausted lads to play. Then of course they would have to bed in and gel. A Wolves fan I work with went to the game and commented that our players looked knackered. I’m sure we will recover, but I fear a couple more defeats are on their way first.
I don't think signings, if there are any will be long, they say they have been planning for a couple of months and concentrating on January and Summer signings. ' Highlighting City’s plans, Ashton told the club: "We’ve been working hard for a number of months now on both a January and summer transfer windows. We try to work two windows in advance, we try to plan as best as we can and that’s not easy at times'.
I'm not sure what to expect to be honest , I feel we need a few additions to help, and boost our squad, whilst ensuring we don't upset the obvious harmony within the group , I get the impression it's more likely to be loans rather than purchases , It must be particularly challenging to find individuals that work on all these levels , especially this time of year . Our position in the league and the way we play , along with the positive exposure we've had recently hopefully would have helped. I feel it's a very important window and hope we manage to get it right as the implications if we do are massive. COYR
The rumours keep coming.. http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/...s/former-bristol-city-transfer-target-1003354 http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/bristol-city-transfers-robin-lod-1003033
Wolves,Reading and Derby rumoured after our Marlon. http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/wolves-reading-derby-marlon-pack-1005350
EP article on Bodin possible move. http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/.../billy-bodin-conundrum-facing-bristol-1004945
