Liam Manning has reinforced his desire to extend Nahki Wells’ stay at Bristol City beyond the end of the season after his goal against Norwich City but admits he is unable to provide an update on contract talks with the forward.
Wells scored the Robins’ second as they beat the Canaries 2-1 at Ashton Gate on Friday evening to head into the international break unbeaten in seven matches and level on points with West Brom and the Championship play-off places.
The 34-year-old’s current contract with the Reds is due to expire at the end of the season with Brian Tinnion admitting in February that talks would begin with the Bermudian international over a potential extension once the budget for the 2025/25 campaign was in place.
After the win over Johannes Hoff Thorup’s side, Manning confirmed that Tinnion and Wells’ agent had been in contact. While the Robins boss was keen to confirm his hope to keep the former QPR forward in the West Country, he insisted discussions around his future were continuing “behind the scenes” at Ashton Gate.
“No update on the contractual thing,” Manning said in his post-match press conference. “We’ve been in touch with his agent and Brian [Tinnion] is speaking with the agent.
“That’s still ongoing behind the scenes so there’s no news on that one. He’s had a fantastic season to be fair when you look at his contribution and what he brings to the group. I think he’s the only one we’ve got over the age of 30 which is important as well.
“He’s hugely instrumental in some of the stuff behind the scenes, keeping people on track, focused, holding people accountable, the personality he brings and the standard he sets. You only have to look at his physical condition to see how well he looks after himself. I’m delighted he got the goal tonight and knowing him as well as I do, I know how tough he is on himself and still how hungry he is to perform and deliver so I know he’ll be frustrated not to get the second one. Ultimately though, he stepped in a key moment tonight and delivered when we needed him.
“Yeah I would. I’d keep him,” Manning continued when asked for his individual feelings on Wells’ future.
City now have two weeks without any Championship football over the March international break. After that short gap, they have just eight games left to play as they look to book their place in the play-offs come May and the end of the season.
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Although on paper, the Robins’ run-in looks challenging with tough away trips to Elland Road and Turf Moor to face Leeds United and Burnley respectively, as well as important home games against fellow play-off hopefuls West Brom, Sunderland and Watford, City’s destiny is in their own hands. If they’re able to pick up points against the teams in and around them in the table, there is no reason they can’t secure a top-six finish.
Wells has been there, done it and got the t-shirt when it comes to being promoted to the Premier League via the play-offs in his time with Huddersfield. While Manning encourages the veteran forward to use that experience to help his teammates in the changing room, he is one of many to step up behind the scenes.
“I challenge all the lads to have a voice in terms of speaking up and he’s obviously a really key one because of his experience and what he brings,” the head coach explained. “We’ll be using every bit of him, Joe Williams, Rob Dickie, Knighty, all of them are so key.
“I think that’s the biggest bit, it’s on all of them, it’s on the collective, it’s on all of to step up and obviously Nahki’s a huge part of that.”