Bristol City striker Tommy Conway has been forced to train with the club’s under-21 team as speculation surrounding his future continues, according to Bristol Live.
The 21-year-old is out of contract next summer, although has been offered fresh terms. Determined not to lose their talisman for free in 12 months’ time, the Robins are keen to reach a resolution this summer.
Conway emerged through City’s academy before being handed his debut in 2021. A year later, he had nailed down a starting berth in the first team, finishing his first full campaign with 12 goals in all competitions.
He mirrored that achievement last season, picking up the club’s Young Player of the Year award. This form saw the attacker land a place in Scotland’s EURO 2024 squad, although he failed to make an appearance at the tournament.
It’s no secret that the Championship outfit are keen on extending Conway’s stay at Ashton Gate. Speaking in May, manager Liam Manning commented on the situation, telling the BBC:
“It’s obviously not ideal for me. Tommy’s got a decision to make.
“We’ve made him a terrific offer as a club, I think it’s the best place for him. I totally understand if someone’s journey is going miles quicker than the team’s then I understand the move.
“At the minute he’s at the level where he’s still being challenged. I think he’s put in some good performances, I still think he’s got a huge amount to do and improve which I’m sure he’d agree with.”
The youngster has been linked to both Old Firm clubs, with Glasgow World claiming that the duo could be considering a pre-contract offer. With the deal being between clubs in two different nations, this could see his current employers pick up just £300,000 in compensation.
It’s not a surprise to see Manning keen to sort out the forward’s future. This latest decision has seen the club take a hard stance, with the former Oxford United boss confirming Conway will train with the under-21s:
“Tommy has had a contract offer on the table, which is an excellent offer. This has been turned down, and not negotiated with the player expressing a desire to leave.
“The decision has been made for him to train with the U21s, with the focus wholly on players who are fully committed to what we are trying to achieve.
“We are hopeful of adding to our squad in the new future. It has been a positive few weeks with the squad and I am happy with how things are progressing. We are preparing for the pre-season friendlies, which will be a good test for the players.”
Writer’s View
This is now a very messy situation, but you have to back Bristol City in this instance. Conway is a very valuable player to the Robins and to lose him for essentially free next summer would be a huge blow. As he is a home-grown player, any fee received would be pure profit and could be reinvested straight back into the playing squad.
That aside, the striker shouldn’t be chastised for wanting to play at a higher level, if that is indeed his reasons for declining the offers that have been presented. However, his form over the last two seasons has seen him attract potential suitors and his interest should be continuing his development. He’s not going to do that if he begins the new campaign out of the first team setup.
Head of Writing
