Nigel Pearson may not have got his wish of a new central defender this summer but the caveat to that was the fact Antoine Semenyo and Alex Scott remained Bristol City players.
That in itself is a huge bonus and the Robins are already reaping the rewards of their quality as they sit fourth in the Championship after the first eight matches.
Although it doesn't mask the fact that City's options at the back remain limited. Nigel Pearson was keen to point out after beating Blackburn that there will be a time in the season where injuries and suspensions are going to have an impact on the squad.
City's thin cover at the back has been epitomised in the last fixture with the absence of a back-up central defender in the squad. Kane Wilson was the only defensive cover against Rovers while George Tanner, naturally a full-back, featured as a centre-back against Wycombe and again in City's Under-21 victory on Monday.
Timm Klose remains an option after returning from a knee injury while Tomas Kalas is also sidelined with no set date on his long-awaited return to action.
Pearson has taken a scout of Sol Bamba with the veteran central defender having trained with the club including playing for the Under-21s last week against Birmingham. The free agent, 37, remains without a club since leaving Middlesbrough at the end of last season.
Whether Pearson looks towards his experience on a short-term deal remains to be seen, but there are other free agents still looking for a club after the close of the transfer window. It's worth noting that there's usually a reason why players remain without a club after the close of the transfer window and that could come down to injury or age.
We take a look at the potential options available should Pearson be looking to scout the free agent market to bolster his backline for a central defender.
Ryan Bennett
It was only six days ago when Bennett and Swansea decided to mutually terminate his contract a year before his deal expired. He had not featured for City's Championship rivals since a 5-1 defeat against Fulham back in March.
He fell out of favour under manager Russell Martin and was linked with a summer move to Reading although the two parties failed to come to an agreement over his contract, reports Wales Online.
One of the reasons for that is that he struggled to adapt to Martin's way of playing out from the back while his mobility and pace also became an issue. That would be a concern for Pearson who, in an ideal world, would look for someone to cover the right side of the defence.
Whether it's Mark Sykes or Kane Wilson, it's clear the manager wants his right wing-back to play higher up the field this season potentially leaving gaps to exploit behind. Zak Vyner's pace over Klose is perhaps one of the reasons why the manager favours the former this season.
However, at the age of 32, he can certainly still do a job in the Championship and provide cover if needed. Standing at 6ft 2ins, aerially he's effective and he has plenty of experience. He was also a key part of Steve Cooper's side that reached the play-off final in 2021.
Gary Cahill
Certainly the most lucrative of names on the free transfer list, Cahill is without a club after leaving Bournemouth in the summer. At the age of 36, his best years are definitely behind him but he would still contribute both on and off the pitch.
He's won two Premier League titles, a Champions League and two FA Cups during his 17 years in the Premier League having represented Chelsea, Aston Villa, Bolton and Crystal Palace.
Cahill was a key part of the Bournemouth side that earned promotion last season. He helped ensure a 15-game unbeaten start to the season that also included an impressive 11 clean sheets across 22 matches having forged a partnership alongside Lloyd Kelly.
His lack of athleticism could be an issue but what he lacks mobility wise he'll make up for in helping develop City's youngsters both on and off the field and he'll undoubtedly be a great role model to have around the building.
Cahill would make 22 league appearances last season to suggest he's still more than capable at this level and was also tentatively linked with Reading in the summer. His wages could prove a stumbling block in negotiations.
Michael Hector
The former Fulham defender left the Cottagers this summer following his three years with the London club but was seen as a fringe player over the past two seasons. He only made four league starts last campaign and three the year prior in the club's relegation campaign.
Costing the club £8million, his lack of playing time is a mystery in itself and at the age of 30, he's hardly regarded as a player beyond his best years. His career has been telling in itself having had a whopping 15 different loan spells during his time with both Reading and Chelsea.
He's only had three permanent clubs in which he's clocked up just 82 appearances between them. His last notable campaign came on loan with Sheffield Wednesday in the 2018-19 season where he won the club's Player of the Year after playing 37 games.
Hector also has 35-caps for Jamaica and offers the option to play in defensive midfield although Pearson admitted it wasn't a particular area of concern.
Sean Morrison
Probably wouldn't be the most popular choice given his eight-year affiliation with Cardiff. He made 16 appearances last season but had his campaign cut short in February following an ACL rupture.
Cardiff afforded Morrison with the opportunity to recover by offering him an injury rehabilitation contract, write Wales Online. What that means for his long-term future in Wales is unknown but manager Steve Morison has his side playing a new brand of possession football this season having opted for a pairing of Perry Ng and West Brom loanee Cedric Kipre.
Geographically, the move would suit Morrison with the clubs so close together but there's that big risk about his level of performance on his return from such a serious injury. Again, his dynamism would be called into question and he's probably more suited to playing in the centre rather than on the right.
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