Liam Manning has shed some light on Harry Cornick’s position at Bristol City following the end of the January transfer window, insisting he is now “in contention” having been the subject of interest this winter.
Cornick made the move to Ashton Gate in January 2023, joining the Robins, then under the management of Nigel Pearson, from Luton Town just months before the Hatters won promotion to the Premier League.
After regularly featuring from the bench under Manning last term, the 29-year-old has found minutes incredibly hard to come by so far this season. He is yet to play a single second of football in the Championship, despite being named in 18 matchday squads, with his only first-team appearance coming as a substitute against Coventry City in the Carabao Cup all the way back in August.
Prior to the January transfer window, Manning had admitted that the Reds would allow Cornick to explore his options in the transfer market. While some speculation surrounded the forward at the start of 2025, no such move came to fruition before Monday evening’s deadline, with the only last-minute departures seeing Tommy Backwell and Omar Taylor-Clarke complete permanent moves to Cheltenham Town and Dunfermline respectively.
With the former Luton man now a City player at least until the end of the season, Manning insists he will be a part of the squad over the coming weeks and months.
“There were a couple of other options to move people out,” explained the Reds’ head coach. “It was quite obvious that [Mark] Sykesy had a bit of interest but we obviously made the decision on Sykesy. He’s in a good spot, done really well so delighted we could keep him as well. There was some interest in Corns as well to be fair, but I’ve been really pleased. Corns brings a huge amount behind the scenes, he’s had to keep his head down and graft but culturally he’s excellent.
“That’s the bit, I’ve got a really good relationship with Harry and we have all the way along. I know he’s not been in a few squads recently but I can’t speak highly enough of how he’s trained and I think that’s two-fold. I think it speaks volumes about him as a person and a professional but also the relationship that I have with him.
“We’ve regularly sat down, had conversations and been quite transparent along the way that if there was something there for him that was interesting, it was one that he could explore. But at the same point, if we finished the window and he was here, he was very much part of what we were trying to do. That’s where I think being open, being honest and having sometimes difficult conversations helps culturally and helps people just be clear about where they’re at. He’s definitely someone that is in contention now.”
Cornick has missed out on each of the Reds’ last five matchday squads in all competitions, with his last appearance on the Robins’ bench coming in their 1-0 win over Derby County at the start of January.
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With both Joe Williams and Ross McCrorie suspended for this weekend’s clash with Swansea City, the 29-year-old could be set to return to the fold when Luke Williams’ side travel to Ashton Gate on Sunday lunchtime.
The Swans currently sit 17th in the Championship having failed to win any of their last seven games in all competitions, but Manning expects them to cause some problems in the West Country.
“It arguably makes them more dangerous, right?” the head coach responded when asked about Williams’ side’s poor run of form. “They’ll be looking for a response. The window unsettles people, naturally, January is a tough month from that perspective so now that it’s closed, they know what they’re working with and Luke knows what he’s got.
“I think it’s one of those where the form is there to be changed right? The second you come off it a couple of percent you’re in trouble so control us, control our behaviours, control our quality, go into the game being the best versions of ourselves.”