Bristol City release clause genius secured superb Antoine Semenyo replacement | OneFootball

Bristol City swooped for Anis Mehmeti from Wycombe Wanderers on deadline day 2023.

Bristol City were left in limbo with just a few days remaining of the 2023 January transfer window, as AFC Bournemouth swooped to steal star player Antoine Semenyo.

The Robins faced a race against time to find a suitable replacement for their star man, whose departure was bound to leave a gaping hole in the City attack.

However, it's theorised that a move in the boardroom could've played a part in the purchase of their replacement.

Former Wycombe Wanderers CEO, Phil Alexander, left the club in late January to take up a new role as CEO at, you guessed it, Bristol City.

Whilst this wouldn't take effect until February 1st, the CEO could've had some influence on this deal. It wasn't widely known that Mehmeti reportedly had a £1m release clause in his contract, leading to speculation that Alexander was a key cog in getting the deal done, which the 62-year-old later confirmed.

The Albanian arrived at Adams Park as an unknown youngster in 2020, following the establishment of Wycombe's B Team. He'd make himself known soon enough though.

After breaking into the squad in the Championship, Mehmeti flourished in the years following Wycombe's relegation back to League One. His skills, ball control, and attacking intelligence stunned the Chairboys faithful, as they quickly realised they had an absolute gem on their hands.

The 2022-23 season would be where the winger announced himself as one of the top talents in League One. In the first half of the season, he netted nine goals and also chipped in with three assists, which had the Buckinghamshire club in the mix for a play-off place.

Of course, when January rolled around, many supporters were anticipating the rumour mill to start churning, as was often the case when a young player was excelling. With just a few days left in the transfer window, there was nothing concrete, much to the relief of everyone associated with the Chairboys.

However, when Semenyo left Bristol City, things would change for the Blues, as the Robins came knocking.

Bristol City's ex-Wycombe CEO played a part in Mehmeti deal

As mentioned, there was no public knowledge of the Albanian having a release clause in his Wycombe contract. But, when Alexander departed Wycombe in January to link up with his new club, he would've most likely known about the clause in the contract.

Despite his role not being effective until February 1st, the CEO confirmed that he was involved in the closing stages of City's transfer window, as he started working with his new club on 23rd January. With Semenyo's departure coming just days before the window closed, Bristol City had to act fast to secure a replacement for their key man.

Whilst there is no official confirmation that the knowledge of this clause in Mehmeti's release clause was the spurring factor for the pursuit of a deal, it was widely speculated by supporters that this was the case. Having seen Mehmeti's quality first hand during his time at Wycombe, Alexander's input being a contributing factor seems highly likely.

Ultimately, the Robins paid the reported £1m sum to break the youngster's contract at Adams Park and secured his services on deadline day. Sadly for Wycombe, they didn't have time to seek a replacement, but did sign Chem Campbell prior to Mehmeti's departure. The deal certainly hurt the Chairboys though, as losing their star player mid-season put a dent in their play-off push. They eventually missed out on the top six.

Former non-league gem continues to shine

It's getting on for two years since the ex-Norwich City prospect switched South Buckinghamshire for Bristol, but Mehmeti is continuing his progression at Ashton Gate.

Liam Manning has admitted that he's been a big fan of the winger for a long time. The Albanian was reportedly top of his list of loan targets during his time at Oxford United, so when Manning arrived at Bristol City, it's no surprise that Mehmeti was seen as an integral part of his plans.

Since joining the club, Mehmeti hasn't always been a guaranteed starter, but since Manning arrived, the ex-Wycombe star has just got better and better. With six goals and one assist in 21 Championship appearances this season, the 23-year-old has already guaranteed that this season will be his most productive in a Robins shirt, and we aren't even at the halfway mark.

Whilst the short-term effects of losing Semenyo would've been felt massively, triggering the release clause in Mehmeti's Wycombe contract was a smart piece of business, which was all thanks to a change of staff.