Just as Bristol City took a step forward with a 3-1 victory against Rotherham United on their Championship comeback last week, Nigel Pearson's side took two steps back when Stoke City came to town this past weekend.

Despite taking the lead in the first half against the Potters, the Robins succumbed to a 2-1 defeat at Ashton Gate, with goals from Liam Delap and Jacob Brown cancelling out Nahki Wells' opener.

Currently, City sit just three points above the relegation zone and despite the Championship table being very closely compact, they remain in relegation danger at the halfway stage.

Things could potentially get worse with the January transfer window coming up - let's look at the latest stories coming out of the club ahead of the market re-opening in a couple of weeks time.

 

 

 

 

Cherries join Scott race

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He's been linked with a plethora of teams in the last 12 months, and transfer interest is hotting up in Alex Scott.

Since the 19-year-old made his real breakthrough in the Championship last season, he has been on the radar of multiple top flight clubs, and the latest, according to the Sunday Mirror (18/12/2022, pg. 68), is believed to be Bournemouth.

Gary O'Neil will be given funds to spend in January by new owner Bill Foley and sees Scott as a major target if he is able to entice him to the Vitality Stadium.

As the days tick down to the opening of the window, expect more clubs to be watching the diminutive teenager.

Semenyo in-demand

It's not just Scott that Bournemouth are keen on as the south coast club are also in for Antoine Semenyo.

Per the aforementioned Sunday Mirror report, the forward, fresh off his appearances at the FIFA World Cup for Ghana, is also being lined-up by O'Neill to potentially bolster his options in the final third.

There are multiple clubs in for Semenyo though as reports in the nation of his playing country suggest that Crystal Palace are back in for him, whilst Turkish outfit Fenerbahce are also in the mix.

Whilst his current contract expires at Ashton Gate this summer, the club hold a one-year optional extension - but they're running out of time to make some money on him.

The Massengo conundrum

Despite being undoubtedly a talented player, time is running out on Han-Noah Massengo's Bristol City future.

The 21-year-old was acquired from Monaco in 2019 and has racked up 99 league appearances for the Robins, but there's every chance he's featured in his final match for the club.

A contract dispute means that Pearson favours other players in the engine room, and whilst there hasn't been any concrete interest yet ahead of the January window, Pearson has suggested it would be best for all parties if he was cashed in on next month.

Whether that happens remains to be seen, but City will not want to lose him on a free or for a small compensation fee.