Bristol City should have 45-cap international midfielder and two others on their free agent radar

Bristol City should have 45-cap international midfielder and two others on their free agent radar.

After finishing in the top half of the 2023–24 league after the dismissal of former Bristol City manager Nigel Pearson and his replacement, Liam Manning, the Robins have already finished the first two months of Manning’s first full season in charge.

Key changes occurred at Ashton Gate during the summer transfer window. Star striker and homegrown talent Tommy Conway left the West Country to join Middlesbrough, a Championship team. The Robins signed new forwards Sinclair Armstrong and Fally Mayulu from Queens Park Rangers and Austrian team Rapid Wien, respectively, in response to Conway’s departure.

For EFL clubs though, the only way they can sign new players until January 2025 is via the free agents market.Because they already have a 25-man roster, Bristol City is somewhat limited by this. Although they cannot sign an uncontracted player over 21 and immediately add them to their squad, they can either release a player because there are no other transfer windows open, or they can sign a free agent now with the intention of registering them in January.

In light of this, Football League World examines three free agents and explains why the Robins ought to sign them this month.

Romaine Sawyers

Box-to-box midfielder Romaine Sawyers, who is currently a free agent, departed his previous club, Cardiff City, at the end of the previous season after his contract in South Wales expired.

The 32-year-old could still be useful for the Robins, who played in 37 games in the 2022–2023 season, despite making just six appearances for the Bluebirds in all competitions in the previous campaign.

Sawyers has played for Brentford, Stoke City, and West Bromwich Albion before joining the Bluebirds, giving him a plethora of Championship experience.

Manning presently uses young players Jason Knight and Max Bird in holding midfield, and his experience in the heart of the park may be a wonderful match for them.

Sawyers’ dressing room presence could also prove to be a real asset to a squad that boasts an average age of just 24.9, as per Transfermarkt.

While there is a rivalry between the Robins and Sawyers’ former club Cardiff, plenty of prominent players have crossed the Severn Bridge and played for both sides, including the likes of Lee Tomlin and current Leicester City man Bobby Reid.

Louie Watson

Another player available on a free transfer is midfielder Louie Watson, who departed Luton Town in August following the mutually beneficial termination of his contract with the Hatters.

Just nine games in all during the 2022–2023 season saw Watson play for the Hatters, all of which occurred during the historic season that saw Rob Edwards’ team advance to the Premier League for the first time in the team’s history.

However, the 23-year-old made an impression when on loan at Charlton Athletic last season. During his 21 League One outings, he demonstrated his creative abilities by recording one goal and four assists across all competitions.

Throughout his time with the Addicks, Watson maintained a pass accuracy of 83% in the third tier, as per FotMob, which shows he could contribute towards the attractive style of possession-based football Manning has installed at Ashton Gate.

Furthermore, the former Derby County man also created 26 chances for the Addicks in League One last season, so he could bring a creative edge to the Robins, should Manning opt to sign him.

Nathan Ferguson

As evidenced by their thrilling 4-3 triumph over Millwall and their convincing 3-0 losses to Derby and Blackburn Rovers thus far in the current Championship season, the Robins’ main issue has been their defense.

Manning might address this issue by exploring the free agent market, where Nathan Ferguson, a former West Brom and Crystal Palace defender, is now available.

The 23-year-old signed a contract with the Premier League Eagles in the summer of 2020 after making 21 appearances for the Baggies in the 2019–20 campaign.

Due to injury, Ferguson was only able to play in one senior game for the Eagles after moving to South London; however, he did appear in a number of top-tier matchday teams as an unutilized substitute as recently as the previous season.

In an attempt to strengthen a weak backline, the Robins may consider hiring Ferguson, who is obviously in need of a new team as he attempts to rekindle his career.

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