Bristol City manager Nigel Pearson has admitted that he is hoping to receive some clarity from Han-Noah Massengo who has yet to sign a new deal with the club despite being offered fresh terms.
A report from Bristol Live earlier this year revealed that Massengo had been presented with the opportunity to extend his stay at the club.
However, with the transfer window set to open next month, the midfielder has yet to make a decision regarding his future at Ashton Gate.
Massengo's current contract is set to run until 2023 and thus the Robins will be able to secure a reasonable fee for him this summer if he is unwilling to commit to the club.
As a result of the uncertainty surrounding Massengo, Pearson has opted against starting the midfielder in his side's last two league fixtures.
The Robins extended their unbeaten run in the Championship to five games last weekend by securing a 5-0 victory over Hull City.
Set to make the trip to the John Smith's Stadium tomorrow, it will be interesting to see how City fare against Huddersfield Town.
Ahead of this fixture, Pearson has made an honest admission about Massengo's current situation.
Speaking to Bristol Live, Pearson said: "My perspective on it is, what he's been offered, he has been offered so he either takes it or leaves it.
"So if he decides not to sign it then it's in our interests to try and get as much money as we can for him because it's not about individuals and agendas.
"He's a lovely lad.
"He's played really well for us, he's very committed.
"I don't have a problem with him at all.
"There doesn't have to be a time limit on it but there needs to be clarity on what the situation means to us and hopefully, he'll re-sign, but if he doesn't, then we'll look elsewhere because we have to.
"I don't think it's in anybody's interest for it to drag on and on because everybody needs a little bit of clarity."
The Verdict
It will be interesting to see whether Massengo stays at the club this summer as he unquestionably possesses the potential to become a top player.
During the 36 league games that he has participated in this season, the midfielder has made 1.6 tackles per game and has provided two assists for his team-mates.
Although Massengo's lack of consistency has resulted in him averaging a WhoScored match rating of 6.52 in the Championship, there is no reason why he cannot make considerable strides in terms of his development by featuring regularly for the Robins in the coming years.
However, given that Massengo has still yet to sign a new deal, Pearson may need to draft up a list of replacements for him ahead of the upcoming window in order to cover the possibility of the midfielder moving on to pastures new.