Five players left Bristol City permanently this winter, with three of them joining other clubs in the Championship
Zak Vyner, Anis Mehmeti and Haydon Roberts all left Bristol City in the January transfer window(Image: Getty Images)
It could be argued that the winter transfer window was the turning point of Bristol City’s season. What had appeared to be a campaign headed towards another top six push instead petered out into an all-too familiar mid-table finish after the turn of the year.
There will, of course, be a million and one different theories as to what was behind that frustrating downturn in both results and performances. Some will blame injuries, some will blame fatigue, some will blame the head coach, some will blame the hierarchy and others, no doubt, will blame the officials.
In reality, the final outcome of the season will be a result of the amalgamation of all of the above. One factor that, in the eyes of most fans, however, had the biggest impact was the business completed in January.
While the Robins added the likes of Sam Morsy, George Earthy, Tomi Horvat, Noah Eile and Delano Burgzorg to their ranks, it was the movement out of Ashton Gate that truly caught the eye. In total, 10 players departed either on loan or permanently, with it the exits of those in the latter category that caused the most discussion.
With the Reds’ campaign over and most clubs across English and European football either nearing the conclusion of their seasons or already on their summer holidays, we’ve taken the chance to check up on how January’s permanent departees have fared…
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The first player to depart Ashton Gate on a permanent basis during the January transfer window, it always felt likely that Haydon Roberts’ time as a Bristol City player would come to an end at some point this term. In truth, you wonder if a move away would have occurred in the summer, had it not been for a change in the Robins’ dugout.
After two and a half years on the Reds’ books, however, the versatile defender made the move to Reading in mid-January, the day after he had featured for City away to Ipswich Town. In total, the 23-year-old made 14 appearances for the Royals in all competitions, scoring on his debut against Barnsley.
An injury limited Roberts’ involvement between mid-February and late March, but he started each of Reading’s last three league games as Leam Richardson’s side finished 12th in League One, 12 points adrift of Stevenage and the play-off places.
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Max O’Leary – West Bromwich Albion
The same phrase that applies to London buses appears to hold some truth when it comes to Bristol City exits. While movement out of BS3 had been restricted for almost the entirety of the summer transfer window and much of the first half of its winter equivalent, less than 24 hours after Haydon Roberts’ departure had been confirmed, Max O’Leary had followed him out of the door.
O’Leary concluded his 18-year association with the Robins six months before the end of his current contract at Ashton Gate, joining West Brom on a short-term deal. After a difficult debut against Derby County, where he was at fault for the Rams’ opener, the 29-year-old established himself as the Baggies’ first choice.
Ultimately, the Ireland international made 17 appearances for Albion as they comfortably avoided relegation from the Championship, even with a late points deduction. With his contract at The Hawthorns only running until the end of the season, it isn’t yet clear what the summer holds for O’Leary.
Former Bristol City goalkeeper, Max O’Leary, in action for West Brom(Image: Photo by Stuart Leggett/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Anis Mehmeti – Ipswich Town
If there was a sense of acceptance that the time had come for both Haydon Roberts and Max O’Leary to fly the Bristol City nest this winter, such a feeling certainly wasn’t present when it was confirmed that Anis Mehmeti had also ended his time as a Robin, later that same week.
Like Roberts and O’Leary, Mehmeti only had a matter of months remaining on his contract. Unlike that aforementioned pair, however, he had been a regular fixture of Gerhard Struber’s side in the first half of the campaign and had publicly been offered a deal to extend his stay.
Instead, though, mere days after the Reds were beaten by Ipswich Town at Portman Road, the Albanian international had joined the Tractor Boys’ ranks. It was a move that, in the eyes of some, derailed City’s season, but it certainly had the desired effect in East Anglia.
Mehmeti played 19 times for Kieran McKenna’s side in all competitions in the second half of the term, scoring two goals and laying on a single assist. While those numbers may not be that eye-catching when compared to his return in red and white, they proved enough to help Ipswich win promotion back to the Premier League as they finished second in the Championship, a point ahead of third-place Millwall.
Former Bristol City man Anis Mehmeti in action for Ipswich Town against Preston North End(Image: Photo by David Watts/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Zak Vyner – Wrexham
While it was Anis Mehmeti’s move that perhaps bred the frustration that overcame Bristol City supporters during the winter transfer window, it was Zak Vyner’s move to Wrexham that was the icing on the already hard-to-swallow cake.
In the final days of the January window, it was confirmed that Vyner, a product of the Reds’ academy, had traded City for Wrexham. The defender’s move to a Championship and play-off rival alone was reason for discontent, but throw in the Red Dragons’ ambition – something cited by Vyner in his first interview – and the heat on the melting pot was turned up a notch.
You may well have forgotten that the 28-year-old was sidelined by injury in the final weeks of his time at Ashton Gate. That same issue ruled him out of action until late February, when he came off the bench to make his debut in a 5-3 win over Ipswich Town at the Racecourse Ground.
Vyner went on to make seven further appearances in the Championship for Phil Parkinson’s side and featured against Chelsea in the FA Cup. He did, however, miss the final five games of the season – as Wrexham missed out on a play-off place – with a groin injury.
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Fally Mayulu – Arouca
Zak Vyner’s start to life at his new club will likely have been frustrating for the defender, but his former Bristol City teammate, Fally Mayulu, may have had things even harder.
Having spent the second half of the 2024/25 season on loan with Sturm Graz, Mayulu returned to Ashton Gate hoping for a fresh start under Gerhard Struber. While he was, once again, afforded opportunities under the Austrian, he was unable to showcase the skillset that was required to hold down a consistent place in the starting line-up.
January felt like the perfect opportunity for all involved to cut ties and admit this experiment had not gone to plan. While a quad injury sustained in December threatened to stop such a move from coming to fruition, the Frenchman left England on deadline day, joining Portuguese side FA Arouca.
Mayulu had to wait until August 6 to make his Primeira Liga debut, as an 89th-minute substitute against Estoril, before he again appeared in the closing exchanges of a defeat to Braga a week later. His only other outing so far has come in the shape of seven substitute minutes against Alverca in April.
The 23-year-old will be looking to finish his season on a high in Arouca’s final two matches against Gil Vicente and Arouca over the course of the next six days.
OPINION
Daniel Carter
OPINION
Daniel Carter