Big Bristol City transfer gamble failed to pay off - they lost millions | OneFootball

Han-Noah Massengo's time at Bristol City ended in a frustrating transfer deal

For some time now, those on the inside at Bristol City have believed they are a Premier League club in anything but name, with the infrastructure certainly in place at Ashton Gate.

In recent seasons, the Robins have undergone a major transformation that has seen them continuously make strides of progress towards the top-flight after returning to the Championship in 2015 following two seasons in League One, although they have only come extremely close to ending their exile on a handful of occasions.

Regardless, the club's ability to produce homegrown talent or pluck out hidden gems in the transfer market has remained constant, and that has certainly continued to be the case under their latest boss, Gerhard Struber.

Of course, there is a gamble with any player that showcases high potential, as they could be thrust into the first-team picture way earlier than envisaged, or in truth, fail to live up to the hype of a significant transfer outlay.

The West Country side have never been afraid to splash the case over the course of the past decade, although those in the hierarchy and supporters will hope that future gambles don't end up taking the same path as that of Han-Noah Massengo, who would make the club a major loss.

Bristol City hoped to land a transfer coup despite significant fee paid for Han-Noah Massengo

After finishing eighth in the 2018/19 season, four points behind eventual play-off finalists Derby County, under the management of Lee Johnson, City would hope to eventually make the second-tier's post-season lottery for the first time in 12 years the following season.

The former midfielder made several improvements to his squad by bringing in the likes of Dan Bentley, Ashley Williams, Tomas Kalas, Jay Dasilva, Adam Nagy, Kasey Palmer and future Golden Boot winner, Sammie Szmodics.

However, none of the aforementioned dealings generated anywhere near the levels of hype which surrounded Massengo's move from AS Monaco for a reported £7m, just months after the then-teenager became the first player born this century to feature in the UEFA Champions League.

Unsurprisingly, at the age of just 18, the box-to-box midfielder was viewed as a long-term investment that could hopefully make the club a significant profit down the line as he penned a four-year deal in BS3.

Unfortunately, his first season with the Robins was a sign of things to come, as he found himself in-and-out of Johnson's starting XI, making just 27 appearances in all competitions.

Despite showcasing the occasional flash of brilliance under the man who signed him, Dean Holden and latterly, Nigel Pearson, Massengo's overall output of just three assists in 110 appearances and inability to ever establish himself as a real top-bracket midfielder both at Ashton Gate and in the Championship as a whole meant the hefty price tag of six years ago was far from justified.

However, what would frustrate those of a City persuasion even more is that the club were unable to recoup hardly any of the funds they parted with, whilst the midfielder has since gone on to feature in three of Europe's top-flight leagues.

Given the potential the midfielder was, and still is capable of fulfilling, it was no surprise that Bristol City made several attempts to secure his future for an even longer spell.

However, those efforts would come to no avail, and after spending a brief period on loan with Auxerre in Ligue 1, he departed the club on a free transfer at the end of his four-year contract.

Massengo did present his former employers with a small cash windfall though, as they received compensation following his free transfer to Burnley under Vincent Kompany.

However, his spell at Turf Moor also proved extremely underwhelming, making just 13 appearances for the Clarets before leaving for Augsburg in the summer for a reported €3m.

Clearly, the midfielder found it tough going when adapting to the rigours of the second-tier and the Premier League, yet those at Ashton Gate will be left with a sense of transfer regret after failing to justify their own transfer move all those years ago.