The Bristol City players who may sign a pre-contract agreement away from Ashton Gate next month | OneFootball

The Bristol City players who may sign a pre-contract agreement away from Ashton Gate next month | OneFootball

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·14 December 2024

The Bristol City players who may sign a pre-contract agreement away from Ashton Gate next month

Article image:The Bristol City players who may sign a pre-contract agreement away from Ashton Gate next month

There are a number of players at Ashton Gate who could potentially put pen to paper on deals with other clubs from January.

Bristol City will be gearing up for the January transfer window, when they may be keen to make some additions.


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The Robins made some decent signings during the summer window - and their business next month could be fairly limited.

But they will also need to keep an eye on those who see their contracts expire in 2025.

Those players who see their deals expire at Ashton Gate in the summer could potentially sign pre-contract agreements with clubs outside of England from next month, so City may be waiting to see whether any of their first-teamers opt to put pen to paper on deals with other clubs.

Below, we take a look at those players who could sign a deal like this during the January window and beyond.

Stefan Bajic

Article image:The Bristol City players who may sign a pre-contract agreement away from Ashton Gate next month

Stefan Bajic is only 22 and with this in mind, the Robins may have to go to a tribunal if they can't agree a fee with a club who are keen to take him away.

His age could make him an attractive option for some clubs, but he hasn't really had a chance to put himself in the shop window this season, barely featuring for the club.

Lewis Thomas

Article image:The Bristol City players who may sign a pre-contract agreement away from Ashton Gate next month

It seems unlikely that a club from abroad will snap Lewis Thomas up.

With the 27-year-old keeper unlikely to feature much between now and the end of the season, it seems likely that he will be released when his deal expires in the summer.

He could be retained as a cheap backup option, but for the shot-stopper's sake, it's probably better that he moves on.

Kal Naismith

Article image:The Bristol City players who may sign a pre-contract agreement away from Ashton Gate next month

Kal Naismith is currently out injured and that means he hasn't had the opportunity to put himself in the shop window.

Making just seven appearances in all competitions this term, it's fair to say that the versatile ex-Luton Town star hasn't enjoyed the best campaign.

His move from Kenilworth Road hasn't fully worked out for him - and he may be keen to make a move away from Ashton Gate when his contract expires in the summer.

At this point, he probably hasn't done enough to earn any overseas offers in January.

Omar Taylor-Clarke

Article image:The Bristol City players who may sign a pre-contract agreement away from Ashton Gate next month

Midfielder Omar Taylor-Clarke hasn't really been able to kick on since he made his first-team breakthrough during the 2022/23 campaign.

Spending part of last season at Weston-super-Mare, he may be better off taking a couple of steps down the English football pyramid to win more game time.

That should help the 21-year-old to get himself back on track.

Mark Sykes

Article image:The Bristol City players who may sign a pre-contract agreement away from Ashton Gate next month

Mark Sykes has been a useful player for the Robins since his move from Oxford United - and it will be interesting to see whether he extends his stay at Ashton Gate beyond the end of the summer.

The Robins do have the option to extend his contract by a further year though - and it would be difficult to see them not taking up that option if he can impress in the coming months.

In fact, depending on whether it can be activated now, City could potentially decide to trigger that option to keep him until 2026 in the coming weeks to avoid the risk of losing him for nothing in January.

Ayman Benarous

Article image:The Bristol City players who may sign a pre-contract agreement away from Ashton Gate next month

Clearly, Ayman Benarous is a talented player, but he hasn't been able to stop his continuous injury troubles. With this in mind, it seems inevitable that he won't receive any interest in January.

And he may not even be able to complete a medical anyway, with the player suffering another setback in August. He hasn't been seen since - and the Robins may not have any choice but to release him when his contract expires at the end of June.

Nahki Wells

Article image:The Bristol City players who may sign a pre-contract agreement away from Ashton Gate next month

Nahki Wells is one of the most important players on this list, having played an important part in the Robins' first team in recent years.

Considering the player is now 34 and the fact the likes of Sinclair Armstrong and Fally Mayulu can step in as forward options, there may not be much urgency from City to tie him down to a new deal just yet, even though he has been a decent servant at Ashton Gate, impressed last term and continuing to impress this season.

But Liam Manning's side should keep an eye on potential interest from teams abroad.

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