“A Nigel Pearson signing” - Double Bristol City transfer prediction made ahead of summer window | OneFootball

'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Liam Manning is preparing for his first summer window in charge of Bristol City, as he looks to make his mark on the squad ahead of the new season.

The former Oxford chief was named as Nigel Pearson’s successor back in November, and he endured a mixed first six months in charge as he tries to change the approach and deliver on the long-term project the club has.

So, all attention has turned to the market, and Manning will be hoping the club are active, with plenty of work already going on in the background.

Bristol City’s summer transfer plans

It’s not all about new recruits, as the Robins know they will have to sell, and it has been reported that they’re ready to cash in on Tommy Conway after he is still to sign a new contract amid interest from Celtic, Rangers and Wolves.

Selling the forward would be a blow, but Bristol City need to be smart in the window, and losing him when his deal expires in 12 months' time is far from ideal.

Of course, any exits will free up space and funds to improve the group, and there is pressure on the recruitment team to get things right this summer.

There could be a lot of activity at Ashton Gate, and Conway’s potential departure means it’s even more likely that they are likely to be making many changes up top.

And, Conway may not be the only attacker on the move, as FLW's City fan pundit Tom explained that he expects Harry Cornick to move on, with the ex-Luton Town man struggling to adapt to the new approach from Manning.

He said: “I think we’re going to be very busy with outgoings as well as incomings.

“The first prediction I’m going to make, which is a shoo-in, is that we’re going to see Harry Cornick depart from the South West.

“He’s a fan favourite, as he was at Luton Town, but he was a Nigel Pearson signing, and you can see that he doesn’t particularly suit Liam Manning’s style of play. He’s had 39 appearances, scoring twice and one assist.

“He was brought in as a central striker but you can see he is not adept at playing there in this system. He’s not a ball-playing attacker, which is what Manning is looking for. He’s not suited to our style and I can see him leaving this summer.

“We got him for around £700,000 in the January 2023 window, and I don’t see us recouping much of that at all.”

Bringing in attacking reinforcements was always going to be a priority, as Bristol City have lacked that prolific number nine for some time.

So, it’s no surprise that the clubs have been linked with a host of names, and Tom added that he was pleased with talk that Motherwell’s Theo Bair could arrive, as he feels he would be the focal point they lack.

He said: “We’ll look to bring in a different type of attacker. We’ve lacked a big, tall striker, and we haven’t had that profile of player since Famara Diedhiou.

“So, one player we could bring in is Motherwell’s Theo Bair, who scored 15 goals and six assists. He is the exact type of profile we should be looking for, he’s 6ft 3, and seems to be a fantastic player.

“He also seems a realistic option as we’ve been in the Scottish market before, and he would be able to do well in the Championship. We have got a similar profile player in Seb Palmer-Houlden who has been on loan at Newport County, who is a young player, but I don’t think he’s Championship ready, as he could do with another year out on loan.”

Bristol City desperately need a consistent goalscorer

There are a few areas in the squad that need addressing this summer if Bristol City are to improve, but the consensus among the fan base will be that a striker is the number one target.

Obviously, finding a natural goalscorer isn’t easy, and there will be a dozen or so teams, at least, that are also on the lookout for that elusive striker who finds the net regularly.

But, it’s particularly important for Manning, as Conway was the only player to hit double figures last season, as he scored ten times.

That’s not good enough if you want to be competing higher up the table, so they need to get the right striker through the door this summer.