Han-Noah Massengo has bid an emotional farewell to Bristol City as he leaves on a free transfer after four years in the West Country, but the midfielder's next destination remains of interest to the Robins.
Massengo is available on a free transfer after his City agreement expired last Friday and although the 21-year-old reportedly has interest in France, Germany and from Premier League Burnley, with manager Vincent Kompany a long-term admirer, his new club is yet to be confirmed.
Where he ends up could be significant for City given the level of compensation they could receive. A move within mainland Europe would likely result in a fee of around £260,000 under FIFA regulations, whereas if he was to stay in England, City could receive something more substantial.
Massengo departs Ashton Gate after 110 appearances in all competitions over four seasons, although his final campaign in red was spent mainly in exile or on loan at Auxerre, after he rejected the opportunity to sign a new contract first offered to him in December 2021. His final outing in a City shirt proved to be 65 minutes against Birmingham City at St Andrew's on October 8 in a dismal 3-0 defeat.
He was originally brought to City by Lee Johnson towards the end of the summer transfer window in 2019 from Monaco with the transfer seen as a significant coup given the midfielder was considered among the best prospects in Ligue 1.
City paid an initial £2.7m for the France youth international with significant add-ons potentially taking it beyond the £7m mark, however it’s unclear how many of those obligations have been met.
He established himself as an immediate fan favourite, particularly among the younger elements of the support, in-part due to his all-action displays in midfield combined with a high level of technical craft but also because of his distinctive hair, personality and the terrace song that soon followed.
At his best, Massengo was an undoubted star, with his performance at Preston North End in January 2022 among the finest individual displays in recent years, however consistency - which, given his age, perhaps shouldn’t be a surprise - was an eternal issue and he never properly progressed from being a raw talent to a more polished and reliable performer.
Given he was increasingly stationed as a defensive midfielder, Johnson, Dean Holden and then Nigel Pearson required stability rather than a mercurial talent who could waver from being a match-winner to a positional liability.
He leaves BS3 with a sense of regret and unfulfilled promise but having moved his father, brother and young sisters and spent a significant portion of his formative years in his career in Bristol, it will always represent a special place for him.
In a video posted on Instagram, Massengo outlined his love for a “magical city” with a collage of his four years in the West Country. In an accompanying post he wrote: “It’s time to say goodbye. It’s been a real privilege. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for all you have given me in my time as a Bristol City player.
“While this chapter comes to an end, my love for this place, you the people and my fellow professionals will never end. Thank you to all the management, the staff and all those unsung heroes behind the scenes who make Bristol City such a good club. Drink up the cider x”
City midfielder Alex Scott responded with the message: “Going to the top. Absolute pleasure my boy.”
Fiorini links
Meanwhile, City have been linked with a loan move for Manchester City midfielder Lewis Fiorini, a teammate of Tommy Conway’s for Scotland Under-21s. Conway and Fiorini were two of the three players called up to train with the senior squad by manager Steve Clarke last month.
Football Insider report that City, Swansea City and Reading are all battling for the 21-year-old, who spent last season at Blackpool, having submitted enquiries to the Premier League champions over taking Fiorini on a temporary basis.
However, Bristol Live understands that City are not among the interested parties, nor has he ever been considered by the club. Pearson is keen to add at least one central midfielder, preferably on a permanent basis, over the course of the summer with Derby County’s Jason Knight still a consideration despite having two bids rejected last month.
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