3 realistic January targets Bristol City should be keeping tabs on over December | OneFootball

Highlights

Bristol City are yet to fully find their feet under new manager Liam Manning.

In all fairness to Manning, there's a lot of work to be done on this squad. It didn't get the same backing that his former side did over the summer. Add on top of that the loss of Alex Scott, and lack of reinvestment of the funds made from him, and you get a bit of a lacklustre set of players; a group that isn't fit to challenge for promotion in such a strong league.

The club's chief executive, Jon Lansdown, said, after the sacking of Nigel Pearson, that they weren't doing as well as they'd hoped to be doing, which is odd considering the personnel that Pearson had to work with. But his other remark about the club having a top-10 budget in the league should excite Manning, and it'll be tested in the upcoming transfer window, if they still have playoff hopes for this season.

With that in mind, here are three players that the Robins should be looking to bring in with their top-10 budget.

1 Cameron Brannagan

The main reason why Manning's side are sat where they are in the Championship table mainly comes down to one thing: a lack of goals and quality up front. They have a solid defensive record - they've conceded fewer goals than half of the current top six - but the likes of Nahki Wells and Tommy Conway, who are both good players, aren't going to have you challenging teams like Leeds United or Southampton.

Brannagan, although he's not a forward, provides a strong goalscoring and creative presence from the middle of the park.

He's a star player who's worked, and excelled, under City's new boss. The 27-year-old has been linked with a move to England's second tier of football for some time now, and this feels like it could be a good fit.

Reports this week would suggest that Manning is indeed keen on a reunion.

2 Devante Cole

The Barnsley forward is coming into the last year of his contract, so some money might tempt the Yorkshire-based club to get something back for him, rather than risk him leaving for free. He's been a quality performer in League One for the last two seasons now, but he's really stepped up his levels in this campaign.

Some may look at his record from when he last played in the Championship and be put off by that, but it's clear to see he's a different player now than he was then. The 28-year-old looks to be in the prime of his career, and there might not be a better time to try and snap him up.

The striker may well be tempted to follow in the footsteps of his father, Andy Cole, by signing for the Robins.

3 Callum Marshall

If the Lansdowns want a more temporary solution to their scoring issue, then Marshall should be right near the top of their list. The 19-year-old West Ham striker has proven himself to be one of the best young finishers in the Premier League 2. In nine matches for the Hammers' under-21s, he's scored 15 goals and provided two assists.

The risk with bringing in young players is that they won't adapt well to men's football. That should be less of a concern with Marshall, as he's scored three goals in two games against the Robins' bitter rivals Bristol Rovers, and Cheltenham Town, in the Football League Trophy.