Nigel Pearson has told 11 Bristol City players that they won't be staying at Ashton Gate as their contracts are set to be run down, according to Football Insider.

And they include senior players such as Famara Diedhiou, Jamie Paterson, Jack Hunt and Marley Watkins who will all be heading out of the exit door of the Robins next month.

Pearson signed a long-term deal with Bristol City to stay on as their manager recently and he's clearly seen enough from the squad to wield the axe ahead of the summer.

After a promising start to the season under Dean Holden, results deteriorated and the injury list piled up, and a poor end to the campaign saw City finish in 19th position in the Championship.

One of the players who was on the sidelines for half the season is Paterson, who has no shortage of admirers according to Football Insider with the likes of Birmingham and his former club Nottingham Forest interested in taking him.

Diedhiou is a player as well who will have suitors, with Middlesbrough apparently targeting him once again after it was reported that Boro failed to swap Britt Assombalonga with the Senegal international in January.

Hunt meanwhile was a regular this season, playing 41 league games but has been told he has no future at Ashton Gate whilst Watkins spent the first half of the campaign at Aberdeen and played just twice upon his return in January.

The identity of the other seven players remains to be seen but the likes of Andreas Weimann, Liam Walsh, Hakeeb Adelakun and Tommy Rowe all see their contracts expire this summer as well.

The Verdict

After the end of the season the Robins had, it's no surprise to see that Pearson is having a clear-out.

It's maybe harsh to the likes of Paterson who didn't play under the new manager because of injury, however signing a new contract to remain at Ashton Gate will have given Pearson some assurances, for example on transfers, and you'd imagine he will be backed handsomely.

It wouldn't be a surprise to see the likes of Hunt and Diedhiou be a success for other clubs at this level, but Pearson getting rid of them and nine others shows that he means business and the City squad will look a lot, lot different in three months time when the 2021/22 season kicks off.