Bristol City have released veteran duo Chris Martin and Timm Klose, six months before their contracts were due to expire at Ashton Gate.
With 30 minutes to go before the 11pm January transfer deadline, City confirmed that both players have left the club “by mutual consent” with the Robins unable to find any takers for them over the course of the window.
Martin’s last start under Nigel Pearson was against Lincoln City in the Carabao Cup in November and with the emergence of Sam Bell and Tommy Conway from the club’s academy this season plus the expected deadline day arrival of Harry Cornick, finds himself further down the striker hierarchy in BS3.
Klose hasn’t been involved in a matchday squad under Nigel Pearson since the defeat to the Imps, in which he was substituted at half-time, and midfielder Andy King has been preferred ahead of the Swiss at centre-back, even though he’s been fit for most of the season.
"Chris and Timm have both come in today and said goodbye," said Pearson. "On behalf of everyone at Bristol City I’d like to wish them both well for the future and thank them for their service to the club."
Martin signed for City after leaving Derby County in the summer of 2020 and has scored 18 goals in 94 matches under Dean Holden and then Pearson, including some memorable strikes in Severnside Derbies against Cardiff City.
The Scotland international earned a contract extension last season due to the number of appearances he made in what was the final campaign of his original agreement but has increasingly been a peripheral figure this term.
Klose was the Robins’ only new arrival in the January transfer window on a free transfer last year, having previously played for Norwich City in the Championship and Premier League, and was nearly ever-present in the City defence over the second half of the 2021/22 campaign making 18 starts.
However, this season has been a completely different story as his last Championship start was on November 5 against Middlesbrough and Pearson made it clear earlier this month that the veteran Swiss was free to leave Ashton Gate.
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