Bristol City technical director Brian Tinnion has said the club cannot afford to buy players who are the “finished article”, after not signing anyone during the January transfer window.
The Robins did not bring in any players last month while four left on loan, with Tommy Backwell’s move to Cheltenham also made permanent.
At the start of the month the Championship club said they signed more players last summer – seven with only two departing – than originally planned, which had an impact.
“We had to get a few off the wage bill and we had to get the budget back to where it could have been,” Tinnion told BBC Radio Bristol.
“We thought it was best that the players that were in the building, the players that got us to this position, were given the 16 games to show us where they are.
“They’re developing as a team. The new players that have come in [Scott] Twine and [Max] Birdy and [Luke] McNally and [Yu] Hirakawa are still settling in – when you recruit young players they always need time.
“Anis Mehmeti is now showing us from two years ago when we signed him what we were hoping he could become.”
