I asked AI for three January transfers Bristol City should make - it chose these Newcastle and Leicester stars

We're midway through the January transfer window, and it's been a hectic month of ins and outs across the football pyramid, with clubs looking to strengthen their sides and get rid of the deadwood ahead of the second half of the season.

At Bristol City, however, things have been a little on the quiet side, with the club yet to make a single signing this month. In terms out outgoings, 26-year-old defender Rob Atkinson's loan move to Portsmouth has been about as exciting as it's got.

That said, there have still been some names linked with a potential move to Ashton Gate. Swansea City's Harry Darling is one such name to do the rounds, with the ex-MK Dons star tipped as an ideal recruit for Liam Manning's side.

As Robins fans wait patiently to see whether the club can get any business over the line this month, we turned to the rapidly evolving Artificial Intelligence to give us the names of some quality players the club should look to buy this month.

Who did AI pick as Bristol City's number one priority signing?

Equipped with a basic prompt to find a trio of signings the Robins should considering in the January transfer window, our AI bot of choice whirred and hummed for mere seconds, before spitting out its top selections. First up, the aforementioned Darling got the nod.

Opting to stay rather close to the shore with its opening pick, AI claimed signing Darling would be a fine bit of business for the Robins, and proclaimed: "Strengthening the backline with a player like Darling could significantly improve Bristol City's defensive stability.

"His experience in the Championship, combined with his aerial prowess and ball-playing ability, would be an asset. There have been rumours linking Bristol City with Darling, indicating a move could be feasible. His presence could reduce the goals conceded, which is often crucial for promotion contenders.”

Conceded fewer goals is a good thing when trying to get promoted? Groundbreaking stuff indeed. Pedantic criticisms aside, it is hard to argue against the logic of signing Darling. A fine start to proceedings, it almost feels like nothing could possibly go wrong with this idea. Lead on, dear robot.

Which other players did AI think Bristol City should sign?

Right, full disclosure here: AI decided to go with Scott Twine as its next pick. Yes, that's right, Scott Twine - the player Bristol City signed on a permanent deal from Burnley only last summer. After lambasting our AI assistant for its robotic faux pas - an action which will no doubt have been stored and catalogued for revenge purposes once the merciless robot uprising of 2030 is upon us - we let it have another spin of the wheel.

Crimson with shame and under pressure to deliver, the AI bot plunged into the deepest depths of the internet, and somehow stumbled upon our article on Football Manager's predicted Bristol City January transfers. Lifting their selection without an ounce of shame, Newcastle United's Garang Kuol was chosen.

Justifying its pick, AI did at least make reference to the forward's recent injury woes, and claimed: "Despite his young age, Kuol is a highly-rated prospect with international experience for Australia. If he can recover from his injury and regain form, his pace and directness could provide a different dimension to Bristol City's attack.

"His potential loan move, as speculated, could be a low-risk, high-reward strategy, especially if he adapts quickly to the Championship's intensity."

Rounding things off, AI dug deep to deliver its final verdict, going for a rather left-field selection of Leicester City striker Tom Cannon. It argued: "Cannon has shown promise during his loan spells in the Championship, particularly with Preston North End where he scored 8 goals in 20 games. His goal-scoring ability could provide Bristol City with another scoring threat, complementing their existing forwards."

On the face of it, this really isn't such a wild idea. Cannon has just seen his loan spell with Stoke City terminated, ahead of potentially moving to another Championship club. However, this will most likely be on a permanent deal, and it's hard to imagine the Robins firstly matching the rumoured £7m bid Sheffield United have already made for the player, and then convincing him to choose a move to Ashton Gate over one to Bramall Lane that will likely secure promotion.

So there we have it - AI has named its three picks for Bristol City signings in the January transfer window. Overall, it's a rather underwhelming selection. Darling is already an established target, Cannon looks highly likely to go elsewhere, and the Kuol pick is a bit of robotic madness that will help the Robins' scouting team sleep easy tonight, safe in the knowledge that the mighty powers of AI haven’t quite mastered the art of football player recruitment - yet.