After getting three early signings through the door, Bristol City are starting to streamline their squad with an increasing number of players heading for a new challenge.
Forward Saikou Janneh became the latest name to depart the club on Thursday, joining League One Cambridge on a two-year deal on a free transfer. Although Bristol Live understands a significant sell-on clause has been included as part of the deal.
He joins Kasey Palmer who went to Coventry, Callum O'Dowda to Cardiff and Robbie Cundy to Barnsley as the most notable players to depart the club this summer with other players still set to leave during the final two months of the transfer window.
Nigel Pearson is far from done just yet when it comes to signings and spoke to the media last week about his intentions to continue strengthening. Although he admitted those plans could still be revised depending on the outgoings.
City have been linked with a number of names throughout the transfer window already. Some have been genuine transfer targets while others such as Kenneth Paal have been agents presumably attempting to drum up interest in their client.
Here we give you City's transfer state of play in regards to both incomings and outgoings as it stands...
Transfer plans
Firstly, a reminder of Pearson's transfer plans as we enter July. He's got three important players through the doors that addressed key areas of the squad that needed improving, especially at right wing-back and central defence.
On Friday, Pearson admitted he's looking at adding another "two or three players" although reiterated that it depends on outgoings.
The manager wanted at least one more central defender before Cundy's decision to join Barnsley and therefore it's fair to say another player at the back remains one of the priorities, while he could stretch to two if certain individuals become available.
The one issue Pearson has will be trying to pitch the role of becoming a fourth or even fifth choice defender. One would assume that he would be happy with Kal Naismith, Timm Klose, Rob Atkinson and Tomas Kalas all vying for starting roles.
It's one of the main reasons why Cundy turned down the contract in order to seek more playing assurances. Pearson also cast significant doubt on Nathan Baker's future by suggesting he won't feature this season, with Ryley Towler and Duncan Idehen on the verge of the first-team but perhaps not quite ready for the rigours of consistent Championship football without getting a season-long loan under their belts.
A midfielder is also on the priority list, specifically with defensive attributes to help plug the gap in City's leaky defence last season. Andy Rinomhota was a player of interest, although he has moved to Cardiff on a free transfer.
City are also open to signing a goalkeeper. Both Dan Bentley and Max O'Leary's contracts are expiring in 12-months although the former admitted his representatives have been in discussions over extending that stay.
At the age of 25, O'Leary will be looking for regular first-team football at this stage of his career and having failed to take advantage of his brief spell as the club's No1 last season, may want to soon look elsewhere for a fresh start.
Depending on Nahki Wells' situation, the club may also have to move for a striker but they will prove difficult to find one within City's stringent budget. Sam Bell and Tommy Conway are pushing for more senior minutes but ideally the club will want to send one, or both, out on loan before they are competing for starting roles.
Tyreeq Bakinson
The midfielder has been left in limbo following his return to Bristol City. Ipswich opted against making his loan move a permanent one with his future at a crossroads. Pearson has no intention of introducing Bakinson back into the fold having previously been relatively scathing in his criticism of his attitude.
He was pictured returning with the first-team squad on their first day back of pre-season but Pearson has since confirmed he is now training with the Under-23 squad with the club eager to let him leave.
The feeling will undoubtedly be mutual and when Pearson was quizzed on his future, he responded: "We'll be looking to find a solution to that." He still has a year to run on his contract at Ashton Gate.
Finding a club that will pay a cash figure for Bakinson is likely to prove challenging despite his experience across the EFL. Ipswich have not taken up their option but head coach Kieran McKenna insists the 23-year-old is still a transfer possibility, indicating they're open to negotiating a lower figure than what was pre-emptively agreed in January.
Bakinson isn't the only name looking for a new club, with Zak Vyner and Taylor Moore also in similar situations. Moore returned from a loan spell with Hearts last season, but admitted in an interview a fresh start remains the most likely option in his career.
Unlike Bakinson, both Moore and Vyner remain training with the first-team and have travelled to Europe in the pre-season training camp although the club remain open to offers.
Speaking on potential departures, Pearson said last week: "There may be more departures, you'll have to wait and see. A lot of that is driven by the players themselves. We'll just see what happens but it would be good to make one or two more changes."
Stefan Bajic
The transfer of the French 20-year-old goalkeeper has been ominously quiet since reports first emerged that the free agent had agreed a three-year deal with Bristol City two weeks ago.
While there isn't too much more to add, Bristol Live understands the deal is still ongoing, although there is a hold up along the line - presumably to do with work permit issues.
Sources in France insist an agreement is still in place and therefore Bajic is likely to still become the club's fourth signing of the window. If the move goes through, he is likely to challenge captain Bentley to the No1 shirt having already made appearances both in the French top division with St Etienne and in Ligue 2.
It also casts doubt on O'Leary's immediate future and the Irish keeper could potentially seek a loan move alongside Harvey Wiles-Richards or Will Buse.
Bajic played 15 times for Pau in the second half of the season where he was signed to a six-month contract, earning the attention of clubs abroad including in his native France, Belgium and England. Reports also suggest he was in advanced discussions with Valenciennes FC but City remain the number one option.
Han-Noah Massengo
It's a transfer conundrum that could rumble on for Bristol City and the player throughout the summer. Without referring to any names in particular, Pearson said that while there has been interest in some of his players, nothing has been "concrete".
Therefore Massengo's situation hasn't really changed since the end of last season. City's worst-case scenario would be for the Frenchman to see out his current deal and leave for nothing next summer.
His contract offer remains on the table and Pearson still wants him to sign the deal and play a part in City's future. However, the longer he delays the deal the more inevitable it will be that Massengo will leave.
Another dilemma is that interested parties may also be aware of the situation and therefore be happy to bide their time in order to get the best deal possible meaning City could be forced to make the tough decision to let him leave for a lesser amount or risk losing him for nothing more than compensation next summer.
It was only in January where reports in Germany claimed Freiburg were keen to part with a significant amount of cash to sign him, worth in the region of over £4m. City are highly unlikely to retrieve that sort of figure now.
Nahki Wells
As reported yesterday, Wells' future at City is likely to drag on until the end of the transfer window on September 1 with his potential exit proving more and more complicated.
Preston remain keen, as do Swansea and QPR but neither sides are open to making a cash offer as it stands despite Wells still having a year left on his contract.
City would be open to letting him leave if they receive a figure because he remains one of the highest earners at the club. Pearson reiterated on Friday how he is "conscious of the other side of the argument and that is in an ideal world we don’t want players to run their contracts down."
He also added: "The way we have to work at the moment, we need to reduce the wage bill as well." Letting him leave this summer means City will save around £1m in wages throughout the course of the next 12 months.
Another added complication is Antoine Semenyo's injury which is set to keep him out of action until September. City are left short of options in attack giving an extra emphasis to keeping Wells at the club unless a replacement can be brought in.
Loan exits
This season is likely to be important for a number of young City players on the verge of first-team football. Owura Edwards has already made a temporary move up to Scotland after joining Ross County on loan for the season.
Towler is another expected to make the switch after he enjoyed an impressive six months with Grimsby in the first half of last season. The 20-year-old is likely to find first-team football difficult to come by this season and won't be short of interest across a host of EFL clubs.
It was reported two weeks ago how six clubs, five of those in League One, were interested in taking Towler on loan and it would certainly seem to benefit both parties in the short and long term. He is earmarked to have a bright future in BS3 and is considered too good for the Under-23s but lacking enough experience for senior football.
The same could be said with Idehen but whether City have the strength in depth as it stands to send both out on loan remains questionable. If City bring in another central defender then that becomes more likely.
Idehen has only featured in a handful of professional matches, six during a spell with Grimsby and two substitute appearances for the Robins last season.
Bell and Conway are two others who the club will look to loan out. Academy Director Brian Tinnion has stated the intention of letting them both leave temporarily with visions that they will be leading the line for City in a few year's time. Tinnion did confirm the likelihood is that one will leave and the other will stay to provide cover the first-team while they could then reverse roles during the January transfer window.
Again, that depends on the strength and depth of City's frontline by the beginning of the window and with Wells' future uncertain as it stands, it seems unlikely either will leave until that is resolved or Pearson brings in another frontman.
One other player who could make a temporary switch is young midfielder Josh Owers. Captain of the U23s last season, he also falls into that category where his level is deemed too good for the youth side but requires a regular run of games in the lower leagues at senior level.
Owers has spent two loan spells with Bath City in the National League South and will now be looking at making the step up in the Football League to further test his ability.
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