Vyner's contract and unexpected bids - five Bristol City talking points looking forward There's plenty of optimism heading into the new season but there's likely to be a few twists and turns over the summer With the season done and dusted it's a time for reflection on the campaign and an opportunity to look ahead with early ambitions to mount a challenge towards the top six. The foundations are set in stone and there's every right to feel optimistic if Nigel Pearson and his staff can address the issues that have prevented their progress. It's no secret the positions in the side that require strengthening, the manager has been open when addressing the team's shortcomings and there's no doubt the hard work is well underway to make the side more competitive going forward. They'll be setbacks and a few twists and turns over the summer. There's the possibility that the club receive a number of offers for numerous players they will want to keep hold of, especially with the abundance of talent through the ranks. How it transforms will be intriguing and perhaps frustrating but come the first weekend of August when the first round of Championship fixtures get underway, City are bound to be in a better place with greater squad depth to hit the ground running. Here we raise the talking points that could arise over the off-season. Moving swiftly When asked whether he was hopeful of bringing in new signings over the next two weeks, Nigel Pearson told BBC Radio Bristol that he was. Work has been going on behind the scenes for months to get deals over the line as soon as the final whistle of the season was blown. At the end of last season, City announced their first key arrival of the summer in Mark Sykes on May 16 before Kal Naismith joined 11 days later. Judging by the noise coming out of the club, there's confidence that City will follow suit once again with deals for Aberdeen's Ross McCrorie and Joe Bryan in the pipeline. Central defender Jake O'Brien and AFC Wimbledon's Jack Currie could also arrive swiftly depending on the levels of competition but Pearson wants any new signings to be given the time to adjust to their new surroundings, participate in a full pre-season and give themselves the best opportunity to succeed. Of course, there may be deals and rumours that stretch throughout the transfer window as clubs and players hold out for the best deals possible but Pearson's stance has always remained the same - if they're not interested in Bristol City then he won't take them. A contract decision The recent links of a possible transfer to Premier League side Brentford this summer did raise the debate about where Zak Vyner's long-term future lies after his brilliant season. Whether a move to the top flight materialises remains to be seen but City could be cornered into a decision over the next handful of months. The club recently activated the one-year option in his contract tying him down until the summer of 2024 with further talks ongoing over extending that deal. His importance on the side this season was reflected in making 45 Championship appearances, finding those levels of consistency that proved elusive 12 months ago. If Vyner can't agree on a new deal over the next couple of months, then City may have to think about cashing in to avoid the risk of losing him for nothing in 12 months' time. That will therefore only magnify the shortage of options in central defence and the necessity to address the issue over the summer. Waiting to blossom It can take players time to bed into new surroundings, new tactics and get to grips with new team-mates and that's been no different for Anis Mehmeti and Harry Cornick - both players who are waiting to hit the ground running at Bristol City since their January moves. A late winner for Mehmeti against Stoke City could have been the catalyst for a fine run of form heading into the end of the season but the winger found opportunities difficult to come without starting in the last seven league matches. Everybody who has watched Mehmeti regularly speaks so highly of his quality, including former boss Gareth Ainsworth who has no doubt he is going to reach the Premier League at some point in his career. There could be every possibility that Mehmeti starts next season as City's No10 if Alex Scott leaves, juggling the position alongside Andi Weimann with Sam Bell expected to earmark his place on the left. Likewise with Cornick, a full pre-season will be hugely beneficial for the pair with fitness expected to be at the forefront of Pearson's philosophy to get his forwards pressing from the front. please log in to view this image Anis Mehmeti in action against QPR (Image: Robbie Stephenson/JMP) The unexpected bids During one of Nigel Pearson's press conferences towards the end of the season, he spoke about the possibility of the club receiving one or two offers for players that could create an interesting situation. Any offers received for Alex Scott will come as little surprise and they are expected but for a couple of academy players, there may be a situation where the club have to bat away bids if the top-flight clubs come calling. The two that stand out would be Cam Pring and Tommy Conway - two players who have shown the potential to hit the heights of the Premier League if they continue their rate of development. Pring has shown this season that he has everything to be performing at a higher level. A combination of pace and power suits the modern game and six assists this season, despite playing a large chunk of the campaign at centre-back, proves how big a threat he is when surging forward. The fact that he has proven he has the capabilities of playing in the heart of the defence is only another string to his bow. There's also a matter of his contract which expires next summer although the club have the option of an extra year. So there's no rush to extend that but the club will want to sort that out sooner rather than later to prevent them from facing a predicament this time next year. Conway is another player who would have certainly raised eyebrows from a few scouts this season following his breakthrough season. 12 goals over the campaign, having also missed 15 matches through a hamstring injury, is certainly not to be sniffed at and his potential is sky-high. Potential investment? Steve Lansdown's intentions to sell the club or find new investors have been rumbling on for a number of years but it appears as though progress is being made. Ahead of City's final home game of the season against Burnley, Lansdown confirmed there has been interest from overseas and discussions are in place - Bristol Live understands the investment is likely to be from America. His comments were: "We’re talking to somebody but it’s been going on for a while so I don’t know if that’s going to happen or not. I’m in no rush, it’s got to be the right people who come in, they’ve got to add value, they’ve got to have the right funds to come in and do it." Lansdown has pumped in around £240million to chase the Premier League dream which is yet to bear fruit but as he mentions, there is no rush to sell. He'll ensure that the club goes into the right hands but it does raise the question about how quickly these developments can unfold should the investor have the funds to make an impact. If there are major developments over the summer, then that is likely to change the dynamic over how City conduct their business and the funds available. https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/bristol-city-talking-points-vyner-8430200
Early signings expected with in 2 weeks,new contracts pending,recent signings gelling, outside interest in a number of players, possibity of Lansdown selling club or possible new investment, over 13000 season tickets sold, Nige has less than a year left on his contract. Very interesting days ahead.
If any serious interest in owning the club is coming from America, then let's hope it's more along the lines of how Wrexham have flourished under Ryan Reynolds and the other bloke, rather than how Manchester United or Chelsea have been run, who have had major issues with American ownership over the years.
I think if Cam Pring has another great season next time out, he will be the next one talked about as a multi-million £ prospect. Boy did we make some good youth signings between 2017-2020 that are paying dividends now.... Hoping that Jennifer Lawrence and Jessica Alba join forces and follow Ryan Reynolds lead here
Based on my close up vision of the Excited States of America I wouldn't want anyone from that dysfunctional country anywhere near Bristol City, and if it came to pass my allegiance would end immediately. Now, having said that the resurgence of Wrexham under Ryan Reynolds, who was born and raised in beautiful Vancouver British Columbia and not the U.S., has been a story to behold which makes me wish for some similar luck to come our way. American investors stay away please as you know absolutely nothing about our beautiful game and tend to sour the pot when you come calling with your smug business plans.
This is an interesting one and gives me conflicting thoughts. On one hand, obviously I want us to do as well as possible; to get to (and stay in) the Premiership; to mount a serious challenge for some major silverware and generally force our way onto the footballing map. However, to become a Manchester City and 'buy' success is against my moral principles and I've always been dead against some foreign buyer splashing loads of cash on a game he or she knows precious little about and who has no relationship with or understanding of the fans. We would become everything that I dislike about the modern game.
The days when just about any club stood a good chance of glory have long since disappeared off the football radar, solely due to the influx of endless rivers of questionable money from dodgy sources. When I hear rumours about Bristol City being under the FFP microscope it makes me wonder how the glorious few who live in the penthouse of football get away with some of their financial statements being accepted as fully complicit with the rules? The hundreds of millions thrown around by the supposedly elite clubs on players who are about as committed to the cause only as far as their salary covers their exotic lifestyle. The parachute club also muddy the waters of common sense due to the fact that it prioritizes the return and welfare of the clubs that failed the acid test of survival in the top division for which they strived. I have the luck, or bad luck due to your point of view, of supporting a team that sit's on the margins of sustainability struggling against the tide of money available to all those that failed, and to me that all sounds a little too focused on all outfits other than ours. We play in what must be considered to be the best second tier in the world and it's time that all teams dreaming of going even higher must be treated in the same equitable manner, and they are not!
I reckon new investment is coming before the season starts. SL timed his comments as the season end. Don’t think he would have said anything unless there is something brewing.
He’s getting older, when you get to a certain age you realise you aren’t immortal, he is looking to get something in place for when he gone, as his son has made it clear he doesn’t want to take on the mantle. He also said he’s in no rush and will only accept an offer if the new owner in his view is right for the club.
I haven’t read much about or listened to anything about this, only on the chat rooms, so this may have been covered off, but I’m uncomfortable about him selling the football club but retaining Bristol Sport - which owns Ashton Gate. That would make us tenants at what was previously our own ground.
He hasn’t gone into detail as far as I’m aware , I imagine those are the kind of things they’d need to iron out. Like you I wouldn’t be at all happy with that scenario.
Issue with selling us, is SL turns a lot of loans at end of season into shares. If any potential investor that comes in, don’t do that we would be travelling towards that FFP. As they won’t be able to put any more than SL puts in annually so we could be shagged. If we went up into Premier league then they can chuck in loads more but we’ve been a club that needs the owners payment at season end. I get the impression that some think, an investor gives us more money to spend.
I get the impression that some think, an investor gives us more money to spend. I don’t. I don’t think anyone would be able to put more in without risking FFP wrath.
