Bristol City retained list confirms midfielder among…

Bristol City retained list confirms midfielder among five players to leave the club

Bristol City have released their retained list for next season confirming Callum O'Dowda has left the club following the expiration of his contract.

The Robins also announced negotiations are still ongoing to tie Timm Klose and Robbie Cundy to new deals while Andy King is also in talks to stay on a player-coach role with their current contracts expiring on June 30.

Striker Louis Britton and fellow youngster Barney Soady are also among the players who will leave Ashton Gate. The club also confirmed the departures of Khari Allen and Nathaniel Williams.

O'Dowda, 27, leaves the Robins ending his six-year spell in BS3. City had the option of triggering a year extension to his contract but the club opted against keeping him on for a seventh season.

He made over 150 appearances following his move from Oxford United but form and injuries limited him to just 16 Championship starts throughout the course of the season. O'Dowda found opportunities difficult to come by towards the end of the campaign as manager Nigel Pearson looked towards the future.

O'Dowda is not likely to be short of options with at least five Championship clubs closely monitoring his situation, Bristol Live confirmed. City are also conscious of reducing the wage bill considering the current financial climate.

Britton joined City from Mangotsfield in 2019 and immediately had loan spells with Yate Town and Bath City. He made one league appearance for the Robins, scoring on his debut from the bench in a 3-1 defeat against Brentford almost a year ago.

The 21-year-old Bristolian, who was told he was free to leave Ashton Gate in January, has been on loan with Irish First Division side Waterford since February.

Keeper Buse returned to City in January following a successful loan spell with Taunton Town having also had a previous temporary spell with Dorchester. He has impressed during his recent performance with the Under-23s.

Negotiations to keep Klose and Cundy come as no surprise considering Pearson's openness to keep them on the books towards the end of the season.

Bristol Live revealed last week how the club are keen to hold onto King although it appears he could combine his role as a player and coach. The experienced 33-year-old has made just 10 Championship starts with his season being hampered by two hamstring injuries.

City's summer overhaul is in full swing with Oxford United midfielder Mark Sykes likely to come through the door after undergoing his medical at the High Performance Centre on Monday.

Pearson will also look to further reduce the wage bill with the club open to listen to offers for Kasey Palmer and Nahki Wells, although their high wages will mean deals could drag on throughout the summer as clubs assess their options.