A look back at Bristol City’s transfer business from last summer and how the new arrivals got on
Bristol City’s promotion push may have ended in disappointment but on the whole the 2024/25 season is one the fans will look back at with great fondness after a commendable sixth place finish and a six point improvement from last season.
Liam Manning made the most of his first full season in the dugout and added five fresh faces to the team on a permanent basis while dipping into the loan market for two further additions in the summer window.
January was much quieter from a City perspective and was centered more around player sales as opposed to bringing in fresh talent over the lines.
As the dust settles on what has been a solid campaign for the Ashton Gate faithful and attention turns to this summer, we look back on the last summer transfer window and how each player Manning added to the Cider Army fared in the 2024/25 season.
Permanent additions
Fally Mayulu 3/10: French forward Fally Mayulu could not have got off to a better start after netting an equaliser off the bench on his debut against Hull City and a winner in his second game against Millwall. However, they’d be the only goals the £2.5m addition would manage in a City shirt before being loaned out to Sturm Gruz in Austria.
"This is a move that is best for Fally and the club, which is the most important thing," said Liam Manning. “He is going to get game time to continue his development, and we will continue to monitor him. We wish him all the very best for the rest of the season,” he’s made just one appearance since the loan move and faces an uncertain future this summer.
Sinclair Armstrong 4/10: Former QPR frontman Sinclair Armstrong cost the club a reported £2.5m and has only managed three goals in 36 appearances. The one-time Republic of Ireland international still has a lot of work to do if he’s to become a regular starter.
Scott Twine: 6/10: A steady addition from Burnley with plenty of quality from setpiece situations, but not quite the consistency fans would have hoped for. His tally of five goals and three assists is steady but unspectacular and he’ll be hoping to increase those numbers next term.
Marcus McGuane 4/10: Former Arsenal midfielder Marcus McGuane is yet to score or assist in 21 appearances this season and has been limited to just 10 first team stats. He’ll hope to do better next year.
Luke McNally 7/10: The former Burnley defender has been solid and dependable at the back this season in his 26 appearances and has even chipped in with three goals. His season was cut short by injury otherwise it’s likely his rating would be slightly higher.
Loan signings
Yū Hirakawa 6/10: The Japanese wideman was initially signed on a season long loan deal but did enough in the first six months to convince Liam Manning he was worth keeping. He’s only scored twice and assisted twice this term but has been described by Manning as someone that gets fans off their seats and a guy with the potential to be a really big player for the club.
George Earth: 8/10: They say never fall in love with a loan player. George Earthy has impressed at Ashton Gate since arriving from West Ham and at the age of 20 already looks at home at Championship level. He made 37 appearances across the season and picked up the Supporters Club and Trust Young’s Player of the Year award. He’s expected to attract interest from several Championship clubs in the summer and could well find himself featuring in the top-fight in the near future.
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