Scott Twine signs: Liam Manning will be on cloud nine if these things happen at Bristol City | OneFootball

Ahead of his first full season at Bristol City, Liam Manning will be keen to be well-equipped to guide the club to a promising league finish.

A top-six finish may be out of reach for the Robins, who are set to compete against some very talented teams again next season.

However, the club could build something special with Manning, who has shown real promise at the likes of MK Dons and Oxford United during his managerial career.

Having sold the likes of Antoine Semenyo and Alex Scott for big fees in recent years, the Robins may have the opportunity to spend this summer, although they aren't likely to spend huge amounts.

With the funds they do have, Manning and the club's recruitment team will need to make the most of their budget to level up their squad and give themselves the best chance of finishing in the top half of the table again.

There's plenty of work to be done this summer.

Not only do they need to recruit players, but they also need to try and sell those who are surplus to requirements and hand out contracts to those they want to tie down.

A productive start to the off-season has been made, with the Robins recently releasing their retained list, but this is just a start.

Looking ahead, we take a look at what Manning could be dreaming of ahead of the upcoming window.

Scott Twine joins from Burnley permanently

Twine enjoyed a fairly productive 2023/24 season for Hull City and the Robins, but the fact he was loaned out by the Tigers in January potentially suggests that his time at the MKM Stadium is already coming to an end.

That could give the Robins the opportunity to swoop in and secure a permanent agreement for the attacking midfielder, who enjoyed a lot of success under Manning at MK Dons.

Scoring and assisting for fun when the two worked together, Twine may also be open to this potential move.

At 24, the midfielder still has plenty of room for improvement and he could even be sold on for a decent amount in the future.

Manning has even admitted that he would like to bring the 24-year-old back to Ashton Gate, so it wouldn't be a shock to see him return to City.

Tommy Conway signs a new contract at Bristol City

21-year-old Conway is yet to put pen to paper on a new deal, with his current contract expiring in 2025.

That isn't ideal considering how promising he is, with the striker already stepping up and thriving at a senior level.

Manning has engaged in several discussions with Conway about his contract situation - and he spoke to BBC Radio Bristol on this subject.

He said: "It's obviously not ideal for me. Tommy's got a decision to make.

"We've made him a terrific offer as a club, I think it's the best place for him. I totally understand if someone's journey is going miles quicker than the team's then I understand the move.

"At the minute he's at the level where he's still being challenged. I think he's put in some good performances, I still think he's got a huge amount to do and improve which I'm sure he'd agree with."

Upgrade for Harry Cornick arrives at Ashton Gate

Cornick may have made a decent number of appearances, but he hasn't always started and his goals and assists record during the 2023/24 campaign wasn't brilliant.

When he arrived back in 2023, he looked to be an excellent addition following his promising spell at Luton Town.

However, he has been unable to establish himself as a consistent goalscoring threat at Ashton Gate.