How Bristol City could free up £15k on their wage bill in January | OneFootball

FLW explore a way in which Bristol City can free up £15,000 on their wage bill.

Bristol City seem set for another season in the midtable reaches of the Championship.

Having been promoted as resounding champions of League One in 2014-15, the Robins have since experienced nine seasons of finishes ranging from 18th to 8th place.

This season is following a similar pattern, as despite impressive victories over teams like Middlesbrough and Norwich City, persistent draws have stalled their ability to push towards the fabled top six.

While Steve Lansdown does have ambitions of climbing into the Premier League, the money being spent in the upper echelons of the Championship makes it difficult for City to attract the same calibre of players.

Despite this, they still spend frequently in windows and freeing up the wage bill could allow them to bring in some new players in January.

With this in mind, Football League World have identified one way in which Bristol City could subtract £15,000 from their wage bill this January.

Bristol City should sell Harry Cornick

Approaching his two-year anniversary at Ashton Gate, it would be an understatement to say Harry Cornick has been a disappointing signing.

Having joined from Luton Town on deadline day in January 2023, it was expected he would come in and add goals to the team, with the former Yeovil Town man stating he would "get the fans out of their seats."

Unfortunately, it hasn't worked out, and the arrival of Liam Manning in November last year has led to the former Hatters striker playing a limited role, with his appearances becoming few and far between.

Persistently sitting on the bench under the new regime, it seems that Manning doesn't view him as a viable option, with the striker netting a meagre four goals in his whole City career.

Now having a range of options at his disposal, it seems like an ideal time for the head coach to cash in on Cornick, especially with 18 months remaining on his contract.

Currently earning an estimated £15,000 per week, Cornick is not one of the more affordable players to retain, making it in the Robins' best interest to offload him while they still can.

This sort of wage can make it difficult to force a departure, but if the 29-year-old has visions of a future career, he would be best suited finding game time elsewhere.

Offloading Cornick can help fund January moves for Liam Manning

Given that the attacker earns above the estimated average wage at Bristol City, his departure becomes increasingly crucial. The club cannot justify paying him £1,170,000 over the next 18 months if he isn't going to feature in the team.

Therefore, it seems likely he will move on and this may allow Lansdown to fund some transfers this January.

With a relatively strong strike force already, City should focus on other areas, despite their forwards not yet hitting top form. If new signings are to be made, our Robins fan pundit has suggested prioritising a right-back, as injuries have plagued that position this season.