No changes to Robins' transfer strategy

BBC News

12-05-2025

Bristol City will not change their approach to transfers or their budget this summer after reaching the Championship play-offs, according to owner Steve Lansdown.The Robins finished in the top six for the first time in 17 years despite having the smallest squad in the division, with 24 first-team players.Lansdown confirmed the club did need to strengthen this summer, particularly in the forwards, but would not "go wild".He told BBC Radio Bristol: "I think we carry on doing exactly what we're doing. We look to keep developing the youngsters through the academy, giving them the opportunity, the pathway. "We'll look to keep our recruitment looking for value for money there in the market place. "There are one or two positions we want to fill - it's fair to say we need somebody up front so we will be in the market looking for players - but we're not going to go wild on that basis. We'll going to keep doing what we're doing because we're doing it very well indeed."
Lansdown's involvement with Bristol City began in 1996 before he became club chairman in 2002. The billionaire businessman has overseen the expansion of Ashton Gate Stadium and the creation of the high performance training centre during his tenure.This is City's first appearance in the Championship play-offs since 2008, when they reached the Wembley final but lost to Hull City."You can only spend what you've got and you can't just keep on chasing the dream and throwing money at it," Lansdown said."We've already been down that road and it didn't work, and I think if you look at all our times we've been successful what we've done is built a team. "It's not the stars you've got, it's the way the guys play and Liam first with the culture, it's the responsibility people take on out there."I think we keep developing that, pushing that forward [and] finding those players who will come in and be part of that. We'll get there."No players were brought in during January and City played much of the second-half of the season with two fit centre-backs after injury to Luke McNally and the departures of Rob Atkinson and Kal Naismith. They went into the play-offs stretched by more injuries to the likes of Mark Sykes, Cameron Pring and Scott Twine, yet Lansdown said that he didn't have "any regrets" over the lack of transfer activity in the winter."Luke McNally was a tragic scenario for us, but I think we've coped well without him," he added."I don't think you can keep trying to provide for cover for everybody. We did have cover but we were exposed by those particular injuries."
Semenyo sell-on clause and investment from abroad
After stating in February that the club were "not close" to a takeover, Lansdown said they have had "very constructive conversations" with potential new investors from abroad. A purchase for the Robins is not straightforward given they fall under the Bristol Sport umbrella - created by Lansdown - which also includes Bristol City Women, the men's and women's Bristol Bears rugby teams, and the Bristol Flyers basketball team."The conversations are getting more positive in the sense of being more realistic, I think at some point it will happen - whether that's an investment into the club alongside us or whether it's somebody who wants to come in and invest totally in the club," Lansdown said."We're having some very constructive conversations with certain people, some of them who are very interesting indeed, but that doesn't say they are close to fruition."However, Lansdown confirmed that the club would be in for a financial pay out this summer if former winger Antoine Semenyo moves on from Bournemouth. It would trigger a sell-on clause which means they would be receive a percentage of any future transfer fee. The 25-year-old, who joined the Premier League side in January 2023 for more than £10m, came through the Robins' academy and has been linked with a move to Manchester United."One of our policies always is when we sell somebody there's a sell-on should they progress further. If Antoine is sold for the sums of money people are talking about we will be very happy, and so will he, I imagine," Lansdown said."It will help to close the shortfall that we have every year."