Bristol City have kicked off their January transfer business by confirming the arrival of former Liverpool prospect Ranel Young
11:16, 02 Jan 2026Updated 11:19, 02 Jan 2026
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Bristol City's Ranel Young during his time with Liverpool(Image: Photo by Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Ranel Young will bring "quality and a host of potential" to Bristol City, according to the Robins' technical director Brian Tinnion, after City announced the signing of the former Liverpool prospect to kickstart their January transfer business.
The Reds confirmed on Friday morning that the 19-year-old would be joining their ranks in BS3, putting pen to paper on a contract until the summer of 2027, with the option of a further year, having departed FK Usce earlier this season.
The teenager played just five times for the Serbian side this term, with the last of his competitive appearances coming in September. Prior to his spell in Europe, Young came through the youth ranks at Liverpool.
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Although he never made a competitive appearance for the Reds, he did feature in two first-team matchday squads as Arne Slot named him as a substitute against both Brighton and Plymouth Argyle. He was reportedly offered a new deal to extend his stay on Merseyside, but opted to depart upon the expiry of his contract at the end of last season.
Links between Young and the Robins emerged in mid-December, with fans - at the time - unsure of just quite what to make of the potential signing given the teenager's lack of first-team experience.
However, ahead of City's impressive 5-0 thrashing of Portsmouth at Ashton Gate on New Year's Day, Gerhard Struber mapped out the Reds' plan for the former Liverpool prospect.
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Although he is likely to occasionally train with the first team at the High Performance Centre, the majority of his time will be spent with the Under-21s, where he will play under Dennis Barazknowski.
While this primarily seems an addition for the long-term, the door certainly hasn't closed on Young featuring for Struber's side sooner rather than later.
On New Year's Eve, the Austrian admitted he was "super open" to seeing the youngster progress quickly, a sentiment echoed by the Robins' technical director, Tinnion.
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On the addition of young, Tinnion said: "Ranel is a versatile player with a lot of talent, and we are excited for him to join our Under-21s set up.
"He adds quality and a host of potential in the game."
The signing of Young is City's first bit of transfer business this winter, with more expected to come over the remainder of January.
Former Ipswich Town captain Sam Morsy is expected to join the ranks in BS3 before Sunday afternoon's clash with Preston North End at Ashton Gate, while Struber insisted earlier this week that the Robins were "close" to adding a new centre-forward to their ranks.
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OPINION
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