‘We’re at the limit’ - Bristol City boss’ honest transfer window admission despite £25m Alex Scott windfall

Nigel Pearson has stated that Bristol City are ‘at their limit’ and are unlikely to make any more transfers in the summer transfer window.

The Robins signed Taylor Gardner-Hickman from West Brom on Tuesday, which is likely to conclude their transfer business this summer.

Gardner-Hickman has joined on a season-long loan from the Baggies with an option to buy, and that could be something that the club will take up on should he make an impact during his time at Ashton Gate.

The 21-year-old was signed because of the absence of fellow summer recruit Ross McCrorie who is unikely to need surgery and is ruled out indefinitely. Gardner-Hickman is the fifth signing of the summer window and the first loan signing of Pearson’s tenure, but there is unlikely to be any more incomings.

“Not a great deal if I’m honest,” responded Pearson when asked about if there was any outstanding business to come over the next week, ahead of next Friday’s deadline.

“We’re pretty happy with what we have. I’ve already explained on numerous occasions what the circumstances are. I’m not expecting to be told there’s scope to do anything else. There we go, I’m not expecting a lot. It’s important we try and keep our squad together as well.”

The sale of Alex Scott to AFC Bournemouth saw City earn a £25m club record fee, though that is not expected to be paid in a lump sum, and it seems that the money will not immediately be invested in the playing squad.

An injury to last season’s top scorer Tommy Conway did prompt questions about the need for a striker, and he was asked earlier this month if his injury would change transfer plans but it is likely now that no new forward will be brought in to the club in this window.

Centre-back is also an area of concern given Rob Dickie’s suspension on Friday night, whilst Rob Atkinson is recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Dickie’s absence leaves them with Zak Vyner as their only fully recognised centre-back, though they could shift a full-back into the position.

“We are where we are,” said Pearson when asked if he was happy rather than if the club were when it came to the situation on transfers.

“It doesn’t matter what we would all like to do in an ideal world. Our budget is at the limit so we can’t do anymore. It’s not about that. I’ve got every faith in the players that we have.

“It would be very expensive to improve on what we’ve got unless something like this week happens with the deal that we’ve done with Taylor which is a very positive one for us.

“We’re at the limit of what we can do. It’s like saying would you like to manage one of the top five or six teams in England? Of course you would, but it’s not going to happen.”

As mentioned, Gardner-Hickman’s arrival this week was the first time that Pearson had used the loan market during his two-and-a-half-year spell at the club. Loan transfers do offer the flexibility of not having to pay a transfer fee which poses some risk but there is still an expectation to pay a loan fee as well as cover a players wages, and in some cases meet obligations such as minutes or amount of games played.

“We’re at the end of what we can do financially. There aren’t really options out there for us,” he said.

“They still cost money, but I think people think about budgets being how much cash have you got to spend on fees? It’s not that. We’re talking about the whole aspect of it and that is wages.

“We’re not in a position to do any more business in that regard and I don’t want to lose any players either.”