Bristol City set to open fresh contract talks with first-team player | OneFootball

Nahki Wells scored the winner for Bristol City this weekend against Blackburn Rovers, and is now set to discuss a new contract with the Robins.

Nahki Wells is set for discussions with Bristol City over a new contract after grabbing the winner against Blackburn Rovers this weekend.

Since arriving at Ashton Gate in January 2020 from Burnley for £5 million, the veteran forward has been a massive influence for the Robins in terms of helping out the younger members of the squad and regularly getting his name on the scoresheet.

Now, at 34 years of age, Bermuda international Wells continues to be an important asset to the team and has worked extremely well under head coach Liam Manning, rolling back the years on multiple occasions.

Before Saturday, the striker had scored six goals in 16 Championship starts and assisted a further three, but this weekend he arguably scored one of the most important goals he'll score all season.

Bristol City were level with Blackburn Rovers at one a-piece when Wells was brought on as a substitute on the hour mark, and it then took him just 17 minutes to find the back of the net, which ultimately earned the Robins all three points at Ashton Gate.

Liam Manning reveals Nahki Wells contract talks set to begin with Bristol City

Manning was obviously delighted to have picked up all three points against fellow play-off hopefuls Blackburn, and in his post-match interview, he revealed that he would be talking to match-winner Wells over extending his stay at the club.

“Nahki is a really important player for us, and you cannot afford to leave things like contract talks until the end of the season," Manning said.

“Of course, it can all come down to budgets, but I love having Nahki in the squad and I know he’s happy here. Nahki is the consummate professional and a big influence on our younger players.

“He would like to have scored more goals this season, and we had a chat about that not so long ago, but his work on behalf of the team is exceptional.

"I really love working with Nahki because he’s a top professional, and he’s been really important for us this season, so there are conversations that need to happen in the near future, and it will come down to discussions and budgets."

Bristol City are showing themselves to be play-off contenders - Nahki Wells can play a part in that

For the last decade, Bristol City have been rather comfortable in the Championship and never really flirt with the drop zone, but at the same time, they have typically failed to push for the play-offs or even promotion.

This season may be a totally different story, as after 29 of their 46 games, they sit eighth in the table and are just three points outside the play-offs.

Their win over seventh-placed Blackburn could turn out to be huge come the end of the season, as long as the Robins can keep up their momentum.

Liam Manning has done a fantastic job of ensuring that his side remains competitive in the top half of the Championship and, in turn, giving the Bristol City faithful something to get excited about.

It would have been easy for the Robins to suffer a dip after the departure of Tommy Conway in the summer, but they have remained a top side, and that is largely thanks to Wells' contributions in attack.