Bristol City: Sinclair Armstrong transfer reveal leaves more questions than answers | OneFootball

Should Bristol City have sold Sinclair Armstrong?

In the modern era of football, clubs increasingly favour unproven talent in the hope of developing future stars, rather than placing their trust in experienced players.

This is largely down to monetary gain and when you get it correct it can have a massive impact on what your future looks like. Take Kylian Mbappé at AS Monaco, Bukayo Saka at Arsenal, or from an EFL perspective, Jay Stansfield's £12 million move to Birmingham City as prime examples.

Bristol City tried to follow this pattern in the summer and picked up 21-year-old Sinclair Armstrong for £2.5 million from Queens Park Rangers. This bolstered the Robins' frontline, but with first-choice Tommy Conway forcing a move to Middlesbrough, Liam Manning was left with three main options in Nahki Wells, Fally Mayulu and Armstrong.

Mayulu and Armstrong, still in the early stages of their development, have struggled to make an impact, while Wells, now in the later years of his career, has been unable to rediscover his past goal-scoring form in the Championship.

This has put Manning in a difficult position as he aims to push for the play-offs, and with a recent transfer development surrounding Armstrong, many fans may be surprised that the striker remained at Ashton Gate.

Bristol City had a chance to make a profit on Sinclair Armstrong

A £2.5 million fee is no small investment for City, and it's fair to say that expectations were higher for the 21-year-old, despite his youthful age.

Nevertheless, he has shown glimpses of his potential, with his power and strength clearly attracting interest from other clubs. Speaking to BBC Radio Bristol about the January transfer window, Bristol City technical director Brian Tinnion revealed that the striker is now valued higher than the fee they originally paid.

"Sinclair is developing well," he said.

"Sinclair we could have sold for double our money in January. He is one of the most wanted young strikers around because he is powerful, he's quick, he gets people turned around, he runs in behind and that is what we were looking for.

"They aren't all going to hit off straight away, but we knew that we had the experience in Nahki."

Signing a four-year deal upon his arrival at BS3, the Robins still have plenty of time to help Armstrong refine his game. But will he ever develop into a prolific goalscorer?

This season, he has found the net just three times. While that is far from impressive, his age must be considered, and spending time under the guidance of Wells can only be beneficial for the 21-year-old.

Bristol City could have cashed in on Armstrong

The opportunity for Tinnion to cash in on Armstrong presented itself in January, but the Robins' technical director opted not to take that route.

With Mayulu departing for Sturm Graz on loan, this decision may not have been the wisest in terms of the current campaign, as those funds could have been better invested in securing a more prolific addition up front.

The Robins are currently sitting just outside those play-off spots but could have tightened their grip on a top-six finish with a proven Championship striker in January.

This will now not materialise, and if Wells or Armstrong fail to step up with more consistent contributions, Manning's side could be left facing another season in midtable.

If this does happen, then it can't be perceived as all doom and gloom for the red side of Bristol. Armstrong has begun to show patches of brilliance and proved a real handful for Swansea in his 28-minute cameo on the weekend.

These short bursts will have to be turned into more prolonged spells, but with Wells' deal expiring this summer, next season could provide those opportunities.

Writing off a player at 21 would have been a mistake from Bristol City's perspective, and Tinnion has made the right call in keeping him, with an eye on his potential growth in the years ahead.