Max O’Leary played every minute of Championship football on offer this season as Bristol City secured a top six place for the first time in 17 yearsMax O’Leary started every Championship game for Bristol City this season(Image: Photo by MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Liam Manning admits signing a new goalkeeper to provide competition for Max O’Leary next season is on his mind heading into the summer transfer window, but the Bristol City head coach admits any and all business the Reds do over the off-season will be dictated by the budgets set at Ashton Gate.

O’Leary was one of three City players to play every single minute of Championship football on offer this term, alongside both Jason Knight and Zak Vyner. Across all competitions, the Ireland international has only missed one match over the course of the last two seasons, when Stefan Bajic was given the nod against Coventry City in the Carabao Cup last August.

Bajic is set to depart BS3 upon the expiry of his contract later this month, having not been offered a new deal by the Reds, while third-choice ‘keeper Lewis Thomas remains in talks over an extension in South Bristol. With O’Leary clearly the current number one, as shown by the fact he was given the nod even after rolling his ankle against QPR, Manning recognises the need for competition between the posts.

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“I think so, I think it will help,” the head coach told BBC Radio Bristol’s Sound of the City show when asked if bringing a new goalkeeper in to challenge O’Leary was on his mind for the summer. “Max, you have to remember how early he is in his career.

“Despite his age, he’s actually quite low in terms of number of games, so I think in terms of some of the experiences he’s had, they are completely brand new for him as well.

“For me, competition only benefits all the players. Having someone push you, having someone know that you’ve got to be at your best every day and that ultimately would bring the best out of all of them.”

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In Manning’s first summer transfer window as City head coach last year, the Reds made seven new signings with the likes of Scott Twine, Fally Mayulu, Yu Hirakawa and Sinclair Armstrong all arriving in the West Country. On the other hand, this season’s winter window couldn’t have been much different as the Robins didn’t make a single addition to their ranks, with the only business in or out of BS3 seeing Rob Atkinson, Kal Naismith, and Fally Mayulu depart on loan.

While supporters will likely be keen to see the Robins spend big to build on their success this term, it has already been made clear that the powers at be at Ashton Gate plan to stand by the methods they have employed in recent years. Steve Lansdown told BBC Radio Bristol just last week that the Reds are “not going to go wild”, with the recruitment team continuing to look for “value for money” in the transfer market.

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Of course, Manning is more than aware that budgets will decide what he and the team around him in BS3 are capable of doing over the coming months. However, the head coach feels it is just as important that the Robins are able to sign players capable of delivering now, as it is to acquire potential.

“I wouldn’t say a number, I think it will be dictated to when we get a finalisation on the budgets and what we’re capable of doing,” Manning continued when asked if he had an idea in mind of how many additions he would like to make this summer. “Anyone we bring in, we want to bring them in to improve the squad and improve the team.

“Again, I think there’s a real fine line between bringing in players who are going to need 18 months and two years versus people that are ready now, and I always think that’s important. Getting that blend of young talent progressing, but also players that are capable of delivering now at the level is equally as important.

“I think it’s one of those, once we see what we can do, it’s then having a look at what decisions we can make off the back of that.”

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