With the new season quickly approaching, Nigel Pearson is hoping he can take his Bristol City side further up the table and have a more successful campaign following last year's 17th place finish. 

One player who was a bright spark in a poor season for the Robins was Han-Noah Massengo who made 37 league appearances for the side despite being just 21-years-old.

The player is now entering the final year of his contract at Ashton Gate and considering there have already been rumours surrounding his future this summer, it comes as no surprise City are keen to tie the youngster down on a new deal.

The midfielder, who has been at the club since 2019, has been with his side throughout pre-season although has been named as a substitute on a number of occasions, not dissimilar to the end of last season with his contract situation having a part to play.

With the Robins kicking off their season this weekend with a trip to Hull City, questions have been raised over Massengo's future again but the boss isn't feeling positive about the situation as when asked how close the Frenchman was to signing, he told BBC Radio Bristol (via Bristol World): "You've got to ask the player that because I have no idea. The offer has been on the table for a season more or less.

"When people talk about a player's worth, a player's worth for him here is he's a squad member who may get pitch time, that's it.

"You know my thoughts on players running their contracts down. I think that we as a club need to have policies that don't allow that in the future.

"We have invested an awful lot of money and time in him. Unfortunately we are at a point where he is in the last year of his contract."

The Verdict:

You can tell how frustrated Nigel Pearson is about this situation and you can understand it from his standpoint. The fact that contract negotiations have been at a stalemate for such a long amount of time now means it's hard for the club to know what move to make.

With the Robins hoping for a better season next year, there is no doubting that the 21-year-old can be a crucial part of that and help them achieve their aims.

However, as the boss points out, the club have invested a lot into the player so to risk losing him on a free next year, seems like a loss. Therefore, if a bid was to come in for the player, the club may be in a position where they have to consider selling this summer.