How Bristol City's squad develops and changes over the next month will be intriguing and perhaps crucial to Nigel Pearson's reign as manager.
There's no doubt the Robins have to strengthen in certain areas including in central defence where mistakes and soft goals have continued to prove costly throughout parts of the season. The City manager has continuously reaffirmed the fact that signing a defender remains the main priority.
Unless they generate a transfer fee through a potential player sale or two, City will have to be shrewd in order to bring in new players. Trading seems the most likely scenario if the club are looking to bring in a name or two on a permanent basis.
While in the past Pearson has been reluctant to dip into the loan market because he felt as though the culture in the dressing room wasn't strong enough, the club are looking at temporary options this month. Loans can be expensive depending on the player and club but there appears to be a budget in place to sign a player until the end of the season.
Speaking after the draw with Coventry, Pearson said: "We're exploring loan possibilities to just try and strengthen us so watch this space so to speak."
With City three points above the drop zone and struggling to pick up victories, there's little room for error in the transfer window. We've picked out five potential central defenders that are likely to be available to sign until the end of the season.
Axel Tuanzebe - Manchester United
The 25-year-old's career has stalled over the last couple of seasons because of his inability to stay fit and injury free. He was touted for a really bright future in the game coming through the United academy and at the age of 21, became the youngest player to captain the club since Norman Whiteside in 1985.
He featured nine times in the Premier League last season on loan at Aston Villa before sealing a switch to Napoli in the second half of the campaign where injury limited him to just one substitute appearance. Prior to that, he played a key role in Villa's promotion to the top flight making 25 league appearances.
This season, injury has sidelined him for the entire first half of the season but is now looking for an opportunity to build his match fitness. One obstacle to any potential deal will be the cost involved, including his wages which are likely to be at the top end of City's budget.
It would be considered an incredibly ambitious approach and a coup for any Championship club given his reputation while Premier League sides lower down the table may also be weighing up the possibility of bringing him in on loan. But there's no harm in a bit of ambition!
Loic Mbe Soh - Nottingham Forest
The 21-year-old central defender has barely had a sniff of first-team action under Steve Cooper this season following their promotion to the Premier League. Having been on the bench for the opening two Premier League fixtures, he has failed to be named in the squad since but has featured twice in the EFL Cup.
He also missed a large chunk of last season with a thigh injury and therefore struggled to earn a spot in Cooper's plans in the second half of their season having mounted a brilliant run of form up the table. Before moving to England, he was at Paris Saint-Germain and in 2020 was nominated for the Golden Boy Award having made his Ligue 1 debut.
Mbe Soh is almost certain to leave the City Ground this month and has been linked with a move back to France with Ligue 2 Guingamp. He has bags of potential but his lack of experience would remain a concern, especially if City fail to pull away from the bottom three over the next couple of months.
Di'Shon Bernard - Manchester United
The 22-year-old defender made his Manchester United debut back in 2019 against Astana but has failed to break into the first-team reckoning. He already has two loan spells under his belt, coming at Salford City in League Two during the 2020-21 season and more recently with Hull City last season where he made 26 league appearances.
The fact he has a season of Championship experience under his belt would make him an attractive proposition and there are likely to be numerous clubs looking into his availability and cost. He stayed at Manchester United over the summer having picked up an injury and has only recently returned to training.
Bernard is a right-footed central defender and was part of the United squad that headed to Spain for a winter training camp during the World Cup break. He has plenty of potential, but his lack of football over the last six months means he'll need a period to find his match fitness.
Yerson Mosquera - Wolves
Wolves are reportedly willing to let their 21-year-old Colombian defender leave on loan this month, according to the Express and Star. The Midlands side signed Mosquera for £4.5million from Atletico Nacional in the summer of 2021.
He has yet to make his Premier League debut for the club having suffered a hamstring injury following his arrival. He made a comeback but then had a reoccurring injury minutes into his Wolves debut against Tottenham in the Carabao Cup.
He's had a handful of Under-21 appearances to maintain his fitness and has been named on the Wolves bench for 11 of their Premier League matches this season. The club are likely to sanction the move if they can bring in a new face this month.
CJ Egan-Riley - Burnley
The talented 20-year-old joined Burnley on a permanent deal from Manchester City in the summer but has been limited to just three substitute appearances in the league. He has also made two starts in the Carabao Cup with competition for places at the back rife.
Speaking about potential departures on loan ahead of the window, Vincent Kompany said: "I think it is fair to say that any player who hasn't had any game time, it is something we will consider."
He's a ball-playing defender who is also versatile to dropping into the defensive midfield role, as Kompany has utilised him a couple of times this season. That could prove key for Pearson, who recently moved Kal Naismith into midfield against West Brom.
Burnley also have defender Luke McNally on their books who joined from Oxford in the summer but has seen just two minutes of Championship action.
SIGN UP: For our daily Robins newsletter, bringing you the latest from Ashton Gate
READ NEXT
