Bristol City

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Bristol City want to sign Ipswich defender Harry Clarke.

New Robins boss Michael Skubala is looking to bring the right-back to Ashton Gate with doubts over Ross McCrorie's future.

Scotland international McCrorie - who has interest in the Championship and Europe - has 12 months left on his contract and is yet to sign a new deal, with City wary of losing him for free.

Bristol City were in a similar situation with Zak Vyner and Anis Mehmeti last summer, before accepting cut-price fees for the pair in the winter window and they joined Wrexham and Ipswich respectively.

Clarke, 25, spent the second half of last season on loan at Charlton, making 19 appearances, having previously been on loan at Sheffield United in 2024-25.

He joined the Tractor Boys from Arsenal in January 2023 and has played 67 times for the club, scoring once.

Clarke made 39 appearances in all competitions when Ipswich were promoted to the Premier League in 2023-24 and also helped them up from League One the season before.

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Bristol City are poised to appoint former Notts County and Forest Green boss Ian Burchnall as Michael Skubala's assistant manager.

The Robins are also trying to bring QPR first-team coach Steve Bould to Ashton Gate as Skubala looks to finalise his backroom team.

Boss Skubala joined the Robins last month after leaving Lincoln, having guided the Imps to the League One title as they returned to the second tier for the first time in 65 years.

Lincoln assistants Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw were made joined head coaches and did not follow him to Ashton Gate.

Burchnall was close to being appointed Rotherham manager last month, having worked under the Millers' new head of football Steve McClaren with the Jamaica national side last year.

He was most recently first-team coach at Aberdeen under interim boss Peter Leven last season.

Burchnall was also assistant manager at Belgian side Anderlecht before a spell at Wolves under Gary O'Neil.

He has managed Notts County and Forest Green and he has also taken charge of Viking and Ostersund - where he succeeded Graham Potter - in Scandinavia.

Former Arsenal defender Bould, who also spent seven years coaching at the Gunners under Arsene Wenger and Unai Emery, has been with QPR for a year.

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Tommy Elphick rejected a move to Bristol City as he assesses his long-term future options.

The Bournemouth assistant was offered the job at the Robins, which would have been his first role in senior management.

But with the situation at the Cherries fluid, with Marco Rose replacing Andoni Iraola, sources have told BBC Sport Elphick is carefully considering his next move.

The 38-year-old has held positive talks with Rose, with the former RB Leipzig manager taking over on a three-year deal.

If the offer from Bristol City had come a few weeks later, with a clearer picture at Bournemouth, Elphick may have accepted the role.

There were positive talks with the Robins, with Elphick impressed with its personnel and the club's plans.

They finished 12th in the Championship this season and are looking for a permanent manager after ex-England boss Roy Hodgson was appointed on an interim basis in March following the dismissal of Gerhard Struber.

It was a reluctant decision but one he took with a potential career crossroads in front of him.

He helped Iraola guide the Cherries into Europe for the first time this season, finishing sixth in the Premier League to seal a Europa League place.

Iraola stepped down after three years in charge, with talks over a new deal unsuccessful despite the Cherries' desire to keep him.

Former defender Elphick made 145 appearances for Bournemouth, having signed from Brighton in 2012, to help them rise from League One to the Premier League.

He left in 2016 to join Aston Villa and also played for Reading, Hull City and Huddersfield Town.