This article is part of Football League World's 'The Verdict' series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Bundesliga side Freiburg are preparing to spend in the region of €5m-€7m in a bid to lure Bristol City midfielder Han-Noah Massengo to Germany, according to Sky (via Bristol Live).

The 20-year-old first arrived at Ashton Gate in August 2019 in an £8m deal, coming from AS Monaco as an exciting youth prospect having played for France at a youth international level, but was only a semi-regular player in his first two seasons in the Championship.

His fortunes in England have improved recently though, making a respectable 18 league appearances this term, though he will want to be a more regular starter after coming off the bench at half-time against Millwall in the Robins' last match.

 

 

However, he may be out of the first 11 once more as Andy King returns from his one-match suspension, though the fact his contract doesn't expire until 2023 may give City fans plenty more chances to see the Frenchman in action at the heart of midfield.

This latest development regarding Freiburg's interest though, with Christian Streich's men currently sitting third in the German top tier, could put a spanner in their plans.

But should Nigel Pearson's side accept €7m if an offer of that size came along? And how much is he really worth?

We asked three of our writers at Football League World for their verdict on those two key questions.

Marcus Ally

This is an intriguing one. Massengo has gone under the radar having a very good season in difficult circumstances at Bristol City. Nigel Pearson’s men have been very inconsistent but the 20-year-old has been one of their main consistent performers.

At this stage of his career, Massengo’s performances have been very exciting and possibly suggesting that they could recoup more than €7m for his services.

However, it comes down to his contract situation, Massengo is contracted at Ashton Gate until the end of next season and if they cannot convince him to sign a new one, this may be the largest transfer fee they are offered for him.

That creates a dilemma for the club financially. From a footballing perspective they should not accept, but it could be sensible to if they can reinvest the money in the long run.

Charlie Gregory

Han-Noah Massengo is a well-rounded player already at just 20-years-old and having done a superb job in the Championship, there is every chance he could emerge as a solid top-level player in the future.

It comes as no surprise then to see him as a wanted man this winter window. With the figures being spoken about too, you’d have to think that Bristol City will have to think long and hard about how much he means to them.

Could they replace him? Could they fund a solid signing with the funds he fetches? These are all questions Nigel Pearson will have to answer. However, Massengo is certainly a solid talent and it wouldn’t be easy to find someone who could immediately step in and do the work that he can.

The Robins would also not be able to benefit from any potential sale later on down the line, when his value could increase even more.

He is a talent but the money being spoken about now could be too good to turn down. The player himself could also be tempted into a move to Germany, where he could get the chance to thrive in a top league.

That means it could be a deal worth doing - but the Robins would certainly miss him if he was sold.

Ben Wignall

Massengo is a player that cost Bristol City the best part of £8 million and at the age of 20 has a lot of potential and years ahead of him.

With that in mind, the Robins should be aiming to keep hold of him for as long as possible.

Like any youngster, Massengo isn't ultra-consistent but he has his games where he's unplayable - even if his lack of goals and assists perhaps says that he's not creative enough.

With more coaching and development, Massengo could become one of the Championship's top midfielders in the next few years and Watford were suitably impressed enough to make a bid for his services in the summer.

City may have posted big losses in their financial accounts recently but that doesn't mean they should cash in now on Massengo - you have to keep him, develop him and build your team around a player like that so Freiburg's advances should be knocked back.