Bristol City have been told they will receive no special treatment if they make any move for Lincoln City players following Michael Skubala’s switch to Ashton Gate.

The Robins appointed Skubala as their new first-team manager at the end of May, with the former Lincoln boss signing a three-year deal after guiding the Imps to the League One title. His arrival has been presented by Bristol City as a key part of their long-term plan, with sporting director James Ellis saying the appointment “sets the tone” for the next two to three years.

Skubala’s move has naturally raised questions over whether he could return to Sincil Bank for players he knows well. Jack Moylan and George Wickens have already been mentioned in that context, but Lincoln’s director of football Jez George has made it clear that Bristol City would have to meet the same conditions as anyone else.

Bristol City Given Clear Transfer Stance

Speaking to BBC Radio Lincolnshire, George said there is no agreement preventing Bristol City from targeting Lincoln players, simply because the club believe their existing contracts provide the protection they need.

“Bristol City be treated no differently to any other club. There’s no agreement in place because we don’t need one. The agreements that we have in place are the contracts for the players, so we’ll have valuations for every single one of our players.

“We’re protected to a large degree, or a slightly less large degree depending on length of contract, but we feel pretty comfortable with all length of contracts that we are.”

That message is significant for Bristol City because Skubala’s knowledge of the Lincoln squad is obvious. He worked closely with the players during a historic campaign, knows their character, their tactical roles and their likely readiness for Championship football.

However, George stressed that Lincoln had already done work before the summer window to make sure the club were not left exposed.

“We’ve done a lot of work pre this window to try and make sure that we secured key assets and made sure that no one was in the last year of their contract.

“So we’ve achieved that. And yeah, it’s our valuation. And with all respect to Bristol City, it’s not about Bristol City. It’s about whether a club meets the valuation.

“We’re not in a position at this moment in time where we need to sell, want to sell. We want to add to this group.”

Robins Must Meet Lincoln’s Price

Bristol City’s appointment of Skubala came after a period of change at Ashton Gate, with the club looking to build after another Championship campaign. The Robins have been absent from the second tier only since 2014-15, and the aim now is to push on under a manager who has just delivered one of the standout EFL stories of recent years.

That could make Lincoln’s squad an obvious place to look. Skubala’s former players have already proved they can win, and several were central to the Imps’ promotion. Even so, the message from Sincil Bank is that any move would have to be done on Lincoln’s terms.

That means any interest in Lincoln players would be treated as a normal transfer approach rather than a route opened up by Skubala’s departure. There is no suggestion the Robins are barred from making a move, but equally, there is no suggestion Lincoln feel vulnerable.

The closing point is simple. Skubala may know the players better than most managers in the Championship, but that does not reduce the price. If Bristol City want one of his former Lincoln players, they will need to meet the valuation, and that leaves the balance of power firmly with the selling club.