Bristol City may fear another Norwich City reunion as Liam Manning exit talk emerges | OneFootball

Liam Manning's links to Norwich City could see him reunite a Bristol City player with the club as well

Bristol City manager Liam Manning has emerged as a candidate to take over at Norwich City and supporters may be worried about a potential double reunion involving Anis Mehmeti if a move does go through.

According to Bristol Live, no official approach has yet been made for the 39-year-old, who previously went through the academy system at Carrow Road before breaking into senior football at rivals Ipswich Town.

It was reported by Ben Jacobs that Manning is a candidate to replace Johannes Hoff Thorup, who was sacked in April, but they also face competition from the likes of Leicester City.

The Englishman has earned a lot of plaudits this season for his work with the Robins, guiding them to a sixth place finish in the Championship — their highest finish since 2008.

So it’s no surprise that he is being linked with a move away this summer, but the prospect of taking someone like Mehmeti with him as well will be something supporters will be fearing, should Manning make the switch elsewhere.

Anis Mehmeti’s Norwich ties

Mehmeti also has ties to Norwich, so a double reunion could well be on the cards if Manning does return to his old club.

The future of Borja Sainz will be a major topic of discussion and speculation for the Canaries this summer following his excellent performances in the Championship.

The Spaniard could well be sold if a good enough offer is received, and Mehmeti would be a sensible alternative option to bring into the team if that does come to pass.

The 24-year-old was also a part of the Norwich academy system when he was younger, although departed in 2019 without having broken into the first team squad.

In the years since, he has become an exciting winger, and he was crucial to Bristol City reaching the play-offs this season.

Mehmeti contributed 12 goals and one assist from 42 appearances in the regular campaign, only six fewer than Sainz managed across the 2024/25 season.

He proved himself as a credible attacking threat at a Championship level, taking 2.89 shots per game, and getting an impressive 6.19 touches in the opposition box per 90 (stats per Fbref).

Compared to Sainz (2.94 and 4.39, respectively), the former Canaries academy talent stacks up quite nicely, making him a viable potential replacement.

Mehmeti and Manning are an exciting duo

Norwich will be looking to appoint someone that can bring the club back into promotion contention next season after falling to 13th under Thorup.

David Wagner had led the Canaries to a top six finish in 2024, but a significant drop off under the Dane led to his dismissal.

Manning has shown he can manage a team to the play-offs, and Norwich may even be able to offer a competitive amount of resources to get even more out of him as a coach.

If Manning can be convinced to come back to Carrow Road, then bringing Mehmeti with him would be an exciting option for the club.

This must be a scary prospect for Bristol City, as it would be a big blow to lose Manning, let alone having Mehmeti jump ship at the same time.