Bristol City in advanced talks to hire James Ellis within days as interviews completed
Bristol City are in advanced talks with former Arsenal technical director James Ellis about becoming their new sporting director, sources have told Football Insider.
Championship side Bristol City outlined their intention last month to appoint a new sporting director at Ashton Gate, and they have spoken to a number of candidates, including Ellis.
Ellis left Arsenal last month after spending five years working at the Emirates, where he worked his way up from a scouting role to technical director.
The Robins are confident of making the appointment before the end of the season.
James Ellis closes in on Bristol City job
Football Insider revealed earlier this month that Bristol City had interviewed Ellis about the role, with the Championship outlet now closing in on a move for the former Gunners figure.
The 46-year-old left his role at the Emirates after just seven months in his technical director role, and he could now be set for a new job at Ashton Gate ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.
His future is to be decided much sooner than that, however, with the Robins wanting to make the appointment before the season ends, and the Championship play-offs are no longer possible.
| Championship standing | Games played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points |
| 10. Bristol City | 43 | 16 | 10 | 17 | 58 |
Under Roy Hodgson, form has been far better, with the 78-year-old losing just one of his four games in charge, but it has been too little too late to salvage the club’s hopes of promotion.
New sporting director must address the manager situation at Ashton Gate
Hodgson has instantly made a positive impact at Ashton Gate, but with the former England head coach already stating no desire to take on the job full-time, Ellis already has his first task.
He replaced Gerhard Struber, who was sacked by the Robins, and Mick Brown told Football Insider that he could now be a “leading contender” to take over at West Brom ahead of next season.
For Bristol City, Lee Carsley has been mentioned as a potential candidate in recent days, but it remains to be seen who the actual concrete options are leading up to the summer.
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