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Bristol City have signed 19-year-old midfielder Josh Stokes from National League side Aldershot Town.

Stokes has agreed a three-and-a-half-year deal with the Championship side, who have paid an undisclosed fee.

Aldershot said the fee received was a record sum for the club and Stokes will return to his former employers on loan for the remainder of this season.

"Josh is a fantastic talent who will only improve," Bristol City technical director Brian Tinnion said.

"We wish him all the best for the remainder of the season with Aldershot and look forward to seeing him in the summer."

Stokes only joined Aldershot in the summer from Isthmian League North side AFC Sudbury and has gone on to score 16 goals in 29 appearances.

"It's come as no surprise to any of us that Josh [and others] have attracted so much interest considering the season he and we've had so far," Aldershot Tommy Widdrington said.

"It should also come as a stark reminder of what's possible to any player who's faced disappointment at any stage of a fledgling career and act as a motivation to keep at it and believe in yourself.

"There were lots of clubs at all levels keen to acquire Josh's services, but I think Bristol City is a great fit for all parties to continue his football journey."

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Bristol City have released midfielder Matty James after three seasons at the Championship club.

The former Leicester City player, 32, scored four goals in 116 appearances and joins senior players Andy King and Andreas Weimann in being released.

King is retiring after a 17-year career that saw him win the Premier League with Leicester City in 2016 while Austrian forward Weimann has spent the second half of this season on loan at West Bromwich Albion.

Nine players aged under 24 are also being released, including former Guernsey player Ben Acey.

"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.”

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Bristol City midfielder Joe Williams has signed a new three-year contract with the Championship club.

The 27-year-old has played 108 times for the Robins and scored four goals since moving to Ashton Gate from Wigan Athletic in 2020.

Williams started 30 Championship matches last season and made a further 10 league appearances as a substitute.

He is the first out-of-contract City player to agree new terms this summer.

“Joe has been terrific in my time here and I’m pleased to have him as part of the squad going forward," head coach Liam Manning told the club website, external.

“His tenacity and desire to win are clear to see and important attributes for any team.”

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Bristol City have signed striker Fally Mayulu from Rapid Vienna for an undisclosed fee.

The 21-year-old Frenchman has signed a four-year deal at Ashton Gate to become the Robins' first signing of the summer.

Mayulu made 35 appearances and scored 11 goals in all competitions for Rapid as the club finished fourth in the Austrian Bundesliga last season.

"I know that this is a good club with a good history, and I've also heard good things about the city and the fans. I think this is the right place to be," he told the Bristol City website., external

Mayulu scored 15 goals in 46 games for BW Linz, helping them win promotion from the Austrian second tier, before moving to Rapid in March 2023.

Bristol City begin the new Championship season away to Hull City on Saturday, 10 August.

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Bristol City have signed forward Sinclair Armstrong from Queens Park Rangers for an undisclosed fee.

The 21-year-old, who has signed a four-year deal, joined the Rs academy from Shamrock Rovers' youth team in 2020.

He then had loan spells at Torquay United and Aldershot Town before graduating to QPR's first team in 2022.

He scored three goals in his 61 Championship appearances for the Hoops.

"If you look at last year, we have some really good attacking quality, but what I didn't feel we had was that power and raw pace. He's definitely got that in abundance," head coach Liam Manning told BBC Radio Bristol.

"He's outstanding physically, a top character as well.

"He's someone who has got extremely high potential. It's his job - and our job - to turn that into consistency and ultimately goals."

QPR chiefs executive Christian Nourry added: “While I wish him well and believe he has a bright future ahead of him, it is important that we do our best to protect the economic interests of the football club.

“This can be accomplished through contract extensions or, where that is not possible, selling a player at the appropriate time.

“The reality of football is that this is often difficult to achieve but it will always be my aim.”

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Bristol City have signed attacking midfielder Scott Twine on a four-year contract from Burnley.

The 25-year-old made 10 appearances for the Robins last season after signing on loan in January and the club made no secret of their desire to keep him.

He spent the start of the last campaign on loan at Championship rivals Hull but he was recalled by the Clarets from the season-long deal before moving to Ashton Gate.

“It has been no secret the desire to bring Scott back to the club, and it has been a long time coming but we are delighted to get the deal over the line," head coach Liam Manning said, external.

“We know the strengths he brings, and feel he has some unfinished business here at Ashton Gate."

Twine previously played under Manning at MK Dons during 2021-22, where he scored 20 goals, before joining Burnley for a reported £4m fee.

However, he was limited to only 14 league games during Burnley's 2022-23 campaign.

He scored on his debut for Bristol City in January and arrives on the same day striker Tommy Conway left Ashton Gate to join Middlesbrough.

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Bristol City have signed midfielder Marcus McGuane from fellow Championship side Oxford United for an undisclosed fee on a two-year deal.

The move reunites McGuane with Robins head coach and former U's boss Liam Manning.

The 25-year-old made 152 appearances during his four years with Oxford after beginning his career in Arsenal's academy.

In 2018 he joined Barcelona, becoming the first Englishman since Gary Lineker to play for the club.

McGuane said he "thrived" working with Manning previously.

"We have a good relationship and I know the style of football that he plays really suits me," he told the club website., external

McGuane spent two years in Spain playing for Barcelona's reserve side before joining Nottingham Forest during 2020.

His contract with Bristol City includes the option of the club keeping him for a further year.

"I know the type of character he is from my time working with him before," Manning said.

"He was outstanding in those first 15 games we had at Oxford last season and I am looking forward to working with him again."

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Bristol City have signed central defender Luke McNally from Burnley on a four-year deal.

The 24-year-old has barely featured for the Clarets since signing two years ago and has moved to Ashton Gate for an undisclosed fee.

Head coach Liam Manning said: "He has all the attributes you want in a defender and he gives us another great option.

"He is the type of player we want in the building."

Burnley paid £1.6m to bring McNally to Turf Moor from Oxford United in 2022. He spent last season on loan with Stoke City and also had a spell with Coventry City in the 2022-23 season.

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Bristol City forward Fally Mayulu has joined Austrian side Sturm Graz on loan for the rest of the season.

The 22-year-old joined the Robins last summer for an undisclosed fee on a four-year deal and while he has made 15 Championship appearances - scoring two goals - only two have been starts.

Mayulu had not been included in the squad for Bristol City's past three games and head coach Liam Manning said in midweek that there had been "interest" from other clubs.

Manning admitted last month that it had taken the Frenchman "time" to adapt to playing in the Championship.

"This is a move that is best for Fally and the club, which is the most important thing," he said.

"He is going to get game time to continue his development, and we will continue to monitor him. We wish him all the very best for the rest of the season."

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contract until the summer of 2026.

The 27-year-old had been linked with a move to Championship rivals Stoke City earlier this month, but has now signed a 12-month extension to his previous deal.

Sykes, who has won five international caps, has scored 12 goals in 101 appearances for the Robins since joining on a three-year deal from Oxford United in the summer of 2022.

He netted his first goal of this season on Saturday with the equaliser in a 1-1 draw at Oxford United, which City finished with only nine players on the pitch.

Meanwhile, the club say they will make Japanese forward Yu Hirakawa's loan from J-League side Machida Zelvia permanent 'in the coming days'.

The Japan Under-23 international has scored twice in 26 appearances this season.