Liam Manning sends message to Tommy Conway as Bristol City contract talks continue

Liam Manning insists Bristol City is the best place for Tommy Conway to continue his development and the Robins head coach has declared “the ball is in his court” with a contract offer having been presented to the striker.

City have been in discussions with the 21-year-old for some time over extending his deal in the West Country but with two games of the 2023/24 campaign remaining, his future heading into the summer is decidedly uncertain.

Conway will enter the final 12 months of his agreement in the next transfer window which places the club in a difficult position of whether to sell the 21-year-old or allow him to see out the remainder and depart in 2025 for compensation.

He has interest, both in the Premier League, elsewhere in the Championship and north of the border having broken into the Scotland Under-21 set-up, with scouts regularly present at Ashton Gate, but Manning hopes he can continue working with the Taunton-born forward.

The Robins academy product has scored 11 goals in 41 appearances and while he’s not taken a notable leap in his goal output - albeit having missed the first two months of the season due to a hamstring injury - he's arguably become a more all-round forward, beyond just being a pure finisher, whether that’s been in terms of his work out of possession, link-up play or the intelligence of his movement.

“Not at the moment,” Manning said, when asked whether there had been any developments around his contract situation. “We’re really keen to keep him. I think we’ve been quite clear on that. An offer has gone into him so the decision will be with him, ultimately.

“He’s been great, I love working with him. He’s been one, I think we can have a real positive impact on his career. I don’t think he’s someone who has to chase anything too soon. If you look at his journey so far this season, he’s improving and getting much better. For me, he should be targeting 15 goals plus next season, that should be the aim for him. He’s someone, when you look at it, the defensive side is terrific.

“At the weekend, the cross at the near post where he nearly scores, I think he’s now starting to get in better areas and part of it, having Twiney helps that; you see the relationship between them building, the link-up is massive.

“Tommy’s someone who we want to keep and the ball’s in his court now.”

Ultimately, Tommy Conway with 12 months remaining on his contract is a more attractive transfer proposition for potential suitors than Tommy Conway with a new four-year deal, as the latter impacts his value quite considerably.

That’s partly why City have been keen to extend his agreement for some time, with on-off talks having taken place throughout the season, predating Manning’s arrival. However, he is also crucial to the Robins overall progress under the new head coach, and his status at the club and within the squad is well-established.

Manning has indicated at least another season in red and white for Conway will see him progress quicker, while also potentially being part of something special, although he’s aware that it’s the club’s responsibility to show the 21-year-old that they mean business.

Conway is ambitious, wants to play at the highest level, and become a regular in the Scotland squad, and Manning hopes that can be achieved by staying put, rather than a move into an uncertain situation at another club, so relatively early in his career.

“I’m quite clear and the club’s been quite clear, we’re ambitious where we want to go,” Manning added. “That’s why I joined, and what I spoke about with Jon and Brian and where the club wants to get to, we have to show that in terms of our actions in the summer, with who we bring in and what we do with the group. So we can talk about being ambitious but we have to show it.

“Then, for me, it’s about trying to get the team to where we want to get to, which is pushing as high up the table as we can, progressing and moving forward and, ultimately, competing to get to where everyone wants, which is obviously in the long-term, is the Premier League.

“I also think you have to be realistic where somebody’s journey goes a lot quicker than the team’s then, of course, naturally there’s a discussion to be made about people’s futures and where they go but where Tommy’s at at the minute, I think he’s in the best place possible, and I definitely see next season as being the best place for him.”

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