Bristol City could look to strengthen their promotion bid with some clever recruitment during the January transfer window.
Traditionally, January is far from ideal for doing business. With limited time to negotiate, selling clubs often demand inflated fees and are reluctant to part with key players mid-season.
Deadline-day chaos, rushed deals, and last-minute collapses have become familiar features of the winter window—and rarely with positive outcomes.
Still, with both promotion and relegation firmly in play for most Championship sides at this stage, resisting the temptation to dip into the market is easier said than done.
With Bristol City given the chance to “add depth” ahead of the second half of the 2025/26 campaign, we turned to Football Manager to simulate how the Robins’ January might unfold—and the results were certainly intriguing.
Predicted January incomings
Manager Gerhard Struber had hinted at possible movement before the window opened, though few would have anticipated a £1 million deal for 23-year-old Polish centre-back Patryk Peda from Serie B outfit Palermo. An unfamiliar name to many, but one Football Manager clearly rates.
He was soon followed by another Serie B arrival, with Frosinone winger Fares Ghedjemis joining for £500,000. The 23-year-old wide man came through Le Havre’s academy during the same era as Riyad Mahrez, adding another obscure but intriguing profile to the squad.
With additional funds potentially boosted by Antoine Semenyo-related sell-on income, Bristol City then made their biggest move of the window—splashing £5 million on Middlesbrough goalkeeper Sol Brynn. Despite that outlay, the Robins avoided further extravagance, instead opting to strengthen through free transfers.
LA Galaxy defensive midfielder Justin Haak arrived on a free, alongside attacking midfielder Cormac Daly, who had recently been released by Lincoln City. The final addition was 23-year-old Argentine left-back Tomas Berardozzi, snapped up from Spanish third-tier side Arenteiro—proof that someone at Ashton Gate has been putting their scouting tools to good use.
Predicted January departures
As expected, incomings were matched by several exits. Defender Elijah Morrison was the first to depart, joining Derby County for £400,000. The Rams returned shortly after with another offer, spending £250,000 to secure highly rated U21 prospect Raekwan Nelson.
The biggest shock came later in the window when West Ham United swooped in with an £11.5 million bid for Cameron Pring. The late move, designed to aid the Hammers’ relegation fight, proved too good to refuse and dealt a major blow to the Robins.
Two further departures followed before the deadline. Jamie Knight-Lebel joined Wigan Athletic for £55,000 after being recalled from his loan spell at Swindon Town, while young forward Louie Derrick completed an £83,000 switch to Portsmouth.
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