Bristol City manager Nigel Pearson gives update on summer transfers and Andi Weimann contract Nigel Pearson opened up on an "unusual" transfer window and his desire to sign five players in his first window as Bristol City Nigel Pearson wants to sign five players this summer and admits the financial uncertainty in football in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic is having a huge impact on the transfer market. City are yet to add to their squad this summer, after the window officially opened on Wednesday, with the need to both strengthen the group and cover lost positions with 11 players released at the end of this month. Pearson has specified five positions he wants to bring in: two centre-backs, two central midfielders and a striker, but has revealed it's been hard going in what is a very quiet and uncertain market. Pearson also touched on Andi Weimann and Danny Simpson's situations with the pair offered new contracts last month but are yet to renew and, as it stands, become free agents in two-and-a-half weeks. "Eleven released, Sess (Steven Sessegnon) going back to Fulham is 12; Andi Weimann and Danny Simpson, hopefully they'll renew in the next week or so ... but it could be 14 gone," Pearson told Robins TV. "That's the reality of it but if I get five players that I want in, I'll be happy. The bottom line is, we will operate with a smaller squad this year because I don't want to populate the squad this season with players who I don't think are motivated to be here. "I'm setting the bar low, far from it, what I'm trying to do is re-calibrate where we are as a football club and it's important the signings that we make in this first window are important for the present but also the longer term. "I'm in my civvies today so I can talk a bit more freely. I am impatient sometimes but I think it's important to try to do some early business, just because it sends the right messages but also the start of pre-season isn't too far away. I would like to have 11v11 early on, so just from a practical point of view. "I spoke to Jon (Lansdown) today. Quite an informal chat. Both of our observations are along the line of, how unusual this window is going to be. "There's a reluctance from a lot of people to do business, there's a re-calibration within the industry; how agents see the financial aspects of doing deals. "The type of players is the type of people, firstly, and they've got to be good enough. I want to build from the back. "I think we're very blessed in the goalkeeper position. I'd like two centre-backs, I'd like two centre midfielders and I'd like somebody to stick the ball in the back of the net ... that's five players. "But that's not to say that we don't do loans. There is scope for us to make changes." As previously reported, Bristol Live understands that among the players being considered for those positions are centre-backs Tom Lees at Sheffield Wednesday, Rob Atkinson of Oxford, Matty James, who's being released by Leicester, plus Rotherham striker Michael Smith, Blackpool forward Jerry Yates and AFC Wimbledon frontman Joe Pigott. City are having to be modest in their targets given the lack of money for both transfer fees and wages, and Pearson admits the wage bill has to be reduced further, even in the wake of so many departures. Nathan Baker's exit and Alfie Mawson's loan return has left Pearson with just two senior centre-backs and Famara Diedhiou's departure leaves an obvious hole in attack but his wish for two centre-midfielders is interesting. City have Han-Noah Massengo, Adam Nagy, Tyreeq Bakinson, Joe Willams and James Morton, plus Kasey Palmer in a more advanced role. If the manager is to secure two more players in that position that indicates at least one sale in that department. "We can't get away from the fact the pandemic has had an impact globally but just for football in itself, I don't think we've had the opportunity to see what it's really going to mean," Pearson added. "Let's be honest, we need to bring our wage bill down. I'm not going to hide from that .The industry needs to look at the baseline parameters. "It's important for us to be as efficient as we can as a club. Unfortunately on the pitch we've certainly not been that. "Some people may look at as a mass exodus of players as a difficult time but I try to frame it in a different way and say, look it's a chance for us to see what we've got, recruit in the right areas and we need to be competitive. "Ultimately we want to get to the Premier League but we've got to start somewhere. "This is a difficult window and movement is a bit slow but it's understandable in some ways but for me, it's still an opportunity rather than a problem. "Although I'm somebody who likes to do business early and have a squad ready for pre-season, because it's the only opportunity you hae to work with a group of players on the training field. But there has to be a flexibility about how I approach it this year because I also reliase things aren't going to happen in the timeframe I want." https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/bristol-city-nigel-pearson-transfers-5521149
