5 Bristol City transfer mistakes the club must try not repeat in January 2025 | OneFootball

Not every signing the Robins have made has worked out

Bristol City will be looking to get things right when the January transfer window opens again in less than two months' time.

Liam Manning's side currently sit tenth in the Championship table, just three points adrift of the top six spots, so a strong second-half of the season could put them in contention for a play-off spot.

A strong window in January would certainly help with that, so there will be an emphasis on strengthening the squad at Ashton Gate with new signings.

However, not every player the Robins have recruited in recent years has worked out for the club when it came to their performances on the pitch.

So, with that in mind, we've taken a look at five signings that did not work out for Bristol City, that the club will be desperate to avoid repeating come January.

Ryan Kent

After coming through the youth ranks at Liverpool, Ryan Kent had the potential to be an exciting signing when he moved to Ashton Gate on loan in January 2018.

However, the winger made just ten league appearances for the club, failing to score and providing just two assists as they finished 11th in the Championship.

Matters were then made worse by reports that Bristol City had been fined £300,000 by Liverpool over Kent's lack of game time.

Insult has since further been added to injury by the fact the winger has gone on to make more of a name for himself at high-profile clubs such as Rangers and Fenerbahce.

Lois Diony

Another 2018 January signing, Lois Diony joined Bristol City on loan just a few months after signing for French top-flight side St Etienne.

It was reported that the Robins had the option to make that move permanent for a fee of £10million in the summer of 2018.

However, the striker never looked a threat in England, managing just seven appearances for the club, failing to score or provide an assist in that time.

Needless to say, the option to sign Diony on a permanent basis was not taken up by the Ashton Gate decision makers.

Nicky Hunt

By the time he joined Bristol City in the summer of 2010, Nicky Hunt had already amassed over 100 appearances in the Premier League with Bolton Wanderers.

However, the right-back never really showed that pedigree during his time at Ashton Gate, and made eight appearances in his first few months with the club.

Even so, performances were unconvincing, and after November 2010, he did not play for the club again, leaving him to endure a long spell on the sidelines.

In the end, Hunt left Bristol City in January 2012, when his contract was terminated by mutual consent, after which he had a nomadic career, rarely remaining with one club for long.

Bas Savage

Joining Bristol City in 2005 at the age of 23, Bas Savage had never before scored a goal in his senior career.

For a striker, that may have been something of a concern, and his time with the Robins did little to improve his fortune.

In 23 league appearances for the club, he scored just once, and rarely looked comfortable on the ball, which did not go unnoticed among the Bristol City faithful.

Savage was released from his contract at Ashton Gate in 2006, and was another who rarely stayed at a single club for long after he had moved on.

Gustav Engvall

The summer of 2016 saw Gustav Engvall join the Robins from Goteborg in his native Sweden, although it was a move that simply did not work out.

Over the next two years, struggled to establish himself at Ashton Gate, making just nine appearances in all competitions, failing to score and providing just one assist.

After being loaned back to clubs in Sweden on several occasions, he was sold permanently to Belgian side Mechelen in June 2018.

It later emerged that Bristol City received £250,000 for his sale, just 10% of the £2.5million they apparently paid for him, making this a costly deal in every respect.