Bristol City captain set to leave in 2027 - Derby County & Wrexham must eye swoops | OneFootball

Bristol City captain Jason Knight is set to leave the club next summer, as Derby and Wrexham should be on alert

Bristol City have enjoyed a solid start to life under Michael Skubala since appointing the former Lincoln City boss, and look well-placed to seriously challenge for a place in the Championship play-offs this season.

Bristol City have undergone some big changes both on and off the pitch over the past few months, as James Ellis has been appointed as sporting director following his previous role as Arsenal's technical director; Skubala has replaced Roy Hodgson in the Ashton Gate dugout, whilst Charlie Boss replaced Tom Rawcliffe as CEO of the club earlier this year.

As many as 11 new players were brought to the club over the summer, as each of Sam Tickle, Lisav Eissat, Sam Greenwood, Lorent Tolaj, and Dom Ballard was among the players to head to Bristol under the new regime.

The Robins look well-placed to attack the top eight this season, but as focus shifts from the summer window onto the current squad, they must be wary of the possibility of losing captain Jason Knight for nothing, with the midfielder's contract set to expire in the summer.

Why Championship clubs will be interested in Bristol City's Jason Knight

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Knight, 25, joined Derby County in 2017 and progressed through the Rams' youth system to the first team, going on to make 166 appearances for the club across all competitions.

However, he would join Bristol City in 2023 for a fee of around £2 million, returning to the Championship after a solitary year in League One, where he has since gone from strength to strength.

Barely injured and almost always ever-present throughout his time with the Robins, Knight has gone on to make 149 appearances for the Robins since, and with his contract set to expire in the summer, an agreement has still not been reached between the Irishman and the club over a new deal.

The 43-capped Irish international has remained coy on his future and has not ruled out extending his stay at Ashton Gate beyond the summer, though with no agreement having yet been reached, Football League World has taken a look at two Championship clubs who ought to be monitoring the situation closely.

Derby County

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Derby haven't exactly had the best start to the 2026/27 campaign, winning just one of their opening eight league games and occupying one of the three relegation places as things stand heading into the international break.

The Rams endured a difficult start to last season under John Eustace before things began to pick up, and supporters can only hope something similar will happen this time around.

Derby made efforts to reinforce their midfield over the summer, bringing back the likes of Sammie Szmodics, Bobby Clark, and David Ozoh, whilst Alex Mowatt joined from West Bromwich Albion.

However, the Rams are still noticeably light in the deeper midfield area, especially with Lewis Travis out injured, as only Oscar Fraulo can offer an alternative to Ozoh and Mowatt right now.

Eustace has tended to prefer signing tried and tested Championship players throughout his time coaching in the division, and with nearly 250 Championship appearances under his belt at 25, Knight fits the mould and then some.

His obvious connection with Derby will also play a significant role in any reunion becoming a possibility, as though the Rams have recently struggled, they will believe they will still have enough to lure back their academy product to the club in the summer.

On a free transfer, a former academy player with ample ChampionshipDerby, who should make their interest known ASAP.

Wrexham

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Wrexham are continuing to build upon the foundations they set in the Championship last season, and having just missed out on a place in the play-offs last time around, will be hoping to make no such mistake this time around.

It's been a surprisingly tricky start to the season for the Welsh outfit, who have won two, drawn four, and lost two of their opening eight league games, and should they have serious ambitions of breaking into the play-offs this year, that must improve.

Phil Parkinson helped to bring in each of Danny Imray, Anthony Patterson, Jacques Ekomie, Issa Kabore, and Ben Whiteman to the club over the summer as part of the next stage of their development, with the latter providing stern competition in the middle of the park alongside the likes of Lewis O'Brien, Ben Sheaf, Oliver Rathbone, George Dobson, and Matty James.

However, the latter three were with the club whilst they were still in League One, and if they are to incrementally improve, these players must be replaced sooner rather than later if they are not up to scratch to fight at the top of the Championship.

Parkinson knows what he wants from a midfielder, and Knight would absolutely fit the bill and then some, and on a free transfer, would be an uncharacteristically savvy deal for Wrexham.

Capable of playing anywhere across the midfield, and in either a system with wing-backs or wingers, Knight would help to take the Red Dragons' midfield to the next level, providing immediate competition in the middle of the park, and, given Wrexham