Bristol City release midfielder Matty James as retained list published

Bristol City midfielder Matty James has left the club, but contract negotiations are continuing with Joe Williams, as the Robins announce the players they are retaining into next season.

Midfield veteran James joins Andy King and Andreas Weimann on the list of players released from Ashton Gate at the end of their contracts. Joe Williams’ contract also expires at the end of the month, but the club say they are still in talks with him about signing a new deal to continue playing for Bristol City.

Nine young prospects have also joined the list of players released by Bristol City, including defender Duncan Idehen and goalkeeper Harvey Wiles-Richards, while the club has confirmed loan signings Scott Twine and Dire Mabude have returned to their parent clubs.

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Bristol City paid tribute to Matty James, who won the Premier League with Leicester in 2016 and turns 33 in July. James made 115 appearances for City after signing for the club in 2021, netting four times. He joins fellow Leicester old-boy Andy King, who announced his retirement last week, and Andi Weimann, who left in January to see out the last six months of his Bristol City contract on loan at West Brom.

Weimann’s name will now be added to the club’s record scorers wall at Ashton Gate - he scored 51 goals for City in 216 appearances after joining in 2018.

“The players departing have all been fantastic servants to this club,” said manager Liam Manning. “They are all top professionals and have all made their mark at Bristol City. I wish them the very best for their future,” he added.

Two big questions remain for Bristol City fans - and the club - from the publication of the retained list. Can Bristol City persuade Joe Williams to sign a new deal, and will the club want to, and be able to, re-sign midfield playmaker Scott Twine on a permanent deal?

The latter returns to parent club Burnley, with the Lancashire side almost certain to drop back to the Championship next season, but the decision on whether he stays with Burnley, is sold and who to, obviously is out of Bristol City’s hands.

The club have potentially more sway with Joe Williams. In the statement, Bristol City said simply: ‘discussions with Joe Williams are ongoing’. The midfielder had a good season at Ashton Gate once his regular injury worries cleared up a bit, and was a key figure in the club’s four game essentially unbeaten Cup run against two Premier League sides in West Ham and Nottingham Forest.

The club has released nine youngsters who never really got into the first team picture at Ashton Gate: Ben Acey, Zac Bell, Mac Boyd, Marlee Francois, Callum Hutton, Duncan Idehen, Dylan Kadji, Harry Leeson and Harvey Wiles-Richards. Some, like Dylan Kadji and Harvey Wiles-Richards, got closer to the first team squad than others, but all have been released at the end of their contracts.

The released and retained list in full is:

Players Over-24 released

Matty James

Andy King

Andreas Weimann

Players Under-24 released

Ben Acey

Zac Bell

McIntosh Boyd

Marlee Francois

Callum Hutton

Duncan Idehen

Dylan Kadji

Harry Leeson

Harvey Wiles-Richards

Contract Discussions ongoing

Joe Williams

Romani Rowe

Under contract in 2024/25

Players Over-24

Rob Atkinson

Harry Cornick

Rob Dickie

Ross McCrorie

Cameron Moir-Pring

Kal Naismith

Max O’Leary

Mark Sykes

George Tanner

Lewis Thomas

Zachary Vyner

Nahki Wells

Players Under-24 (*denotes first Professional Contract, starting July 1st)

Zack Ali*

Tim Ap Sion*

Taine Anderson*

Raphael Araoye

Tommy Backwell

Stefan Bajic

Brandon Bak*

Sam Bell

Ayman Benarous

Max Bird

Joshua Campbell-Slowey

Josey Casa-Grande

Kai Churchley

Tommy Conway

Joe Duncan

Taylor Gardner-Hickman

Calum Hewlett

Joseph James*

Jason Knight

Jamie Knight-Lebel

Jed Meerholz*

Anis Mehmeti

Elijah Morrison

Adam Murphy

Raekwon Nelson*

Ephraim Yeboah

Sebastian Palmer-Houlden

Billy Phillips*

Haydon Roberts

Marley Rose

Josh Stokes

Omar Taylor-Clarke

Archie Taylor*

Oliver Thomas

Callum Wood