Yesterday, news emerged that Bristol City forward Tommy Conway has been forced to train with the club’s under-21s ahead of the new campaign.
The 21-year-old is out of contract next summer and despite two offers of fresh terms, is yet to commit his future to his boyhood club. This had led to speculation that his time at Ashton Gate may be coming to an end, with Scottish giants Celtic and Rangers both linked with a move.
Conway has finished as the Robins’ top scorer in each of the last two seasons. He became a pivotal component of the team under Nigel Pearson, then Liam Manning, although the latter is seemingly preparing for life without his talisman. Speaking to Bristol Live earlier this week, the former Oxford United boss said:
“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.”
The original report states that there has been no fallout between the player and the manager, something which Football Insider have also confirmed. However, the latter suggest that Conway has not asked to leave the club and the decision to send the attacker to the under-21s has angered some players and staff. Furthermore, it is claimed that City’s last contract offer was rejected as the Scottish international felt that it was ‘below market value’.
It is said that Rangers will now look to take advantage of the situation and could make their interest concrete. The Glasgow outfit are looking to add to their front line after missing out on the Scottish Premiership last season by eight points. James Tavernier was the club’s latest Golden Boot winner, a feat he achieved from right-back.
Writer’s View
To put it bluntly, this is a mess. What is even more perplexing is that there has been no fall out between Conway and Manning, although the boss clearly feels he has to prepare his squad for the eventuality that the attacker will depart the club before the end of the transfer window.
The last thing that is needed at Ashton Gate right now is uncertainty within the playing staff. It is interesting to see that some members of the squad appear to be unhappy and this will be the first real test of Manning’s reign. Whilst an unwanted situation, it looks increasingly likely that the youngster will leave, with Scotland being the probable destination.