JUST IN :4 free agents now available that could bolster the 23/24 squad

These four players available on free transfer could help boost Nigel Pearson’s squad maintain a play-off bid next season

•  Bristol City have been active in the transfer window, adding new players to improve their squad for the upcoming campaign.
•  Nigel Pearson has been unable to replicate his previous successes at Championship level due to a lack of consistency within the team.
•  The club should be looking to address their issues by signing players like Ryan Nyambe, Wes Harding, Josh Onomah, and Lucas Joao, who are all available on free transfers and could further improve the squad.
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• One club that has been active in the transfer window so far in a bid to improve their squad for the upcoming campaign is Bristol City.

  Nigel Pearson has been in the Ashton Gate dugout for two-and-a-half seasons now, but hasn’t been able to replicate his previous successes at Championship level, as the Robins continue to lack the consistency needed to maintain a play-off push.

  This is despite the fair mixture of both proven second tier pedigree with the likes of Andreas Weimann & Matty James alongside rising stars Sam Bell, Tommy Conway and, latterly, the Championship’s current Young Player of the Season, Alex Scott, who is attracting plenty of Premier League interest.

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  However, Pearson has looked to address the problems which have seen many play-off bids elude his side by adding to it in the form of Rob Dickie, Jason Knight, Haydon Roberts and Ross McCrorie.

  Which free agents could Bristol City sign?

  If the aforementioned Scott is to depart Ashton Gate this window, Bristol City will receive a large influx of cash that could well be spent on reinforcements. Here, though, are four players who could further improve this squad who are available on free transfers.

• Ryan Nyambe

  Despite being a part of Wigan Athletic’s painful 2022/23 campaign, the Namibian international has proven himself to be more than capable at this level from his two spells in the North West with both the Latics and Blackburn Rovers.

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  The right-back position at the club is one in need of being added to, with George Tanner the only natural option which Pearson can select at the moment after Kane Wilson’s unfortunate spell in the West Country came to an end as he left for Derby County.

  Overall, there are few right-backs of Nyambe’s calibre with proven Championship quality, who are available on a free transfer, and this would be a very shrewd piece of business.

  Although he shares the same position as the previously discussed Nyambe, Wes Harding has enjoyed a successful period with Rotherham United since his arrival from Birmingham City, and will be looking to take a further step up in terms of club stature and ambition, something which Bristol City are able to provide.

  Last season for the Millers, Harding accumulated an average of 2.5 clearances, 1.3 interceptions and was only dribbled past 0.5 times per 90 minutes, as per WhoScored.

  The 26-year-old is also a versatile option, playing on either the right side or centre of defence, which would bolster the Robins’ cover.

  He also added a goal and a further three assists as Rotherham defied expectations with a 19th place finish.

  An option further up the field follows, and in an attempt to add depth to their attacking midfield areas, City could look to pursue the option of Josh Onomah.

  Having recently become a free agent after his short-term deal at Preston North End expired, Onomah is a player, who at 26, still has room to develop, and could grow alongside the club if he was to move to a club in the position which the Robins currently find themselves.

  He is also no stranger to the division, having played a regular part in Fulham’s eventual play-off final success in the 2019/20 season, where he accumulated four goals and three assists, with an average of 1.1 shots per game and 82.5% pass completion rate

  In his prior loan spell at Aston Villa, Onomah was surrounded by a lot of hype, but the career of the former Tottenham prospect hasn’t quite followed its planned trajectory.

  Joao has become an established Championship forward ever since his initial move from Nacional to Sheffield Wednesday eight years ago, and could prove beneficial to Bristol City, even if the club looked at the prospect of a shorter contract.

  His style of play and physicality would offer Nigel Pearson a different dimension to his current attacking options, and would provide necessary and adequate cover for the likes of Nakhi Wells and the aforementioned Weimann.

  Despite only finding the target seven times in Reading’s tumultous relegation campaign, a club like Bristol City could see Joao return to his past prolific self, such as when he netted 19 times in the 2020/21 season as the Royals narrowly missed out on the top six