3 free agents Bristol City could turn to after huge Luke McNally blow | OneFootball

FLW take a look at some free agents Bristol City could turn to after Luke McNally's injury.

Saturday's defeat to Swansea City brought pain in more than one way to Liam Manning as his star defender, Luke McNally, was ruled out for the rest of the campaign.

The 25-year-old was replaced by Sam Bell in the 73rd minute and scans have since revealed that he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.

This leaves the club with just two fit specialist centre-backs, Rob Dickie and Zak Vyner, currently available to Manning. With both Kal Naismith and Rob Atkinson sent out on loan to different Championship clubs in January, that decision could now come back to haunt them.

Nevertheless, the Robins showed their resilience on Wednesday evening, with two goals from Anis Mehmeti securing a vital victory against Stoke City and lifting them into seventh place. After the game, head coach Liam Manning dedicated the win to McNally, saying: "It's a tough injury to take. He's a big character in the group, so that one’s for Luke tonight."

The red side of Bristol will still need to remain wary and Football League World have identified three potential free agents they could bring in as cover.

Daniel Amartey

Daniel Amartey spent the majority of his career at Leicester City, making over 140 appearances for the Foxes.

A Premier League winner, he was released in the summer of 2023 and was subsequently signed by Beşiktaş. However, his time in Turkey did not go as planned, and by September 2024, his contract was mutually terminated.

Since then, he has been without a club, but he could still offer a wealth of experience to a side like Bristol City. With his extensive top-flight pedigree, he would arguably rank among the Championship’s best defenders.

If the Robins can present him with a satisfactory wage package, they may well tempt him to Ashton Gate.

Jason Denayer

While a move for Jason Denayer would be highly ambitious, it isn't beyond the realms on a short-term basis.

The defender was recently released by Saudi Pro League side Al-Fateh as they looked to free up space to bring in some more foreign players. This leaves the defender without a club, and it would be a smart move from City to go chasing a deal until the end of the season.

A fully-fledged Belgian international, the centre-back previously made over 100 appearances in Ligue 1 for Lyon and this experience could be what they need to help them secure a top-six spot.

An unlikely move? Yes, but if City are serious about securing a play-off spot, they need to compete for signings just as their promotion rivals do.

James Tomkins

The final - and perhaps - most realistic addition on this list is James Tomkins. The defender left Crystal Palace in the summer after eight years at the club and has been without a team since.

At 35, he is undoubtedly in the latter stages of his career, but he could be exactly the kind of experienced figure Manning needs to support his young squad.

Tomkins was recently linked with Millwall, but given his roots in West Ham United’s academy, that move seems unlikely.