Bristol City boss Gary Johnson has told Championship rivals Swansea they can keep Lee Trundle if they want him.

Out of favour at Ashton Gate and out of contract at the end of the season, the flamboyant striker returned to his former club on loan in August.

His spell at the Liberty Stadium is due to expire on December 31, but Robins manager Johnson has stated publicly that there is no future for Trundle in Bristol.

And he has revealed a deal is in place that could see Trundle remain in Wales for the rest of the season.

The player himself has made no secret of his desire to stay with the Swans and, privately at least, has vowed never to play for Bristol City again.

But his future is out of his own hands and it will be left to Swans boss Paulo Sousa to decide whether he wants to keep Trundle beyond the end of the year.

Johnson said: "We haven't spoken to Swansea recently, because it's out of our hands. At the moment, the deal is up to December 31 and no longer.

"But we do have a deal in place where they can take him for the second half of the season if they want to. There is a deal on the table and they know what it is.

"It's something we spoke about in the summer before Lee went out to Swansea and there is an agreement built in that he can stay longer.

"But that is not our decision to make and we're in a position where we are waiting for Swansea to come to us and say whether they want him or not."

Regarded as a hero by Swansea fans – Trundle scored 86 goals for the Welsh side between 2003 and 2007 – the Liverpudlian openly admits he would prefer to remain at the Liberty Stadium rather than return to Bristol and sit out the rest of the campaign."

Johnson added: "Lee has nailed his colours to the mast and said he wants to stay if he can. I know what he wants and I understand that.

"He seems to have played a bit of a cameo role since going out on loan and I cannot say what the people at Swansea want at this moment in time. We will have to wait and see."

Trundle has featured in six first-team games since returning to Swansea in August, playing just 194 minutes in the process.

Five of those appearances have been as a substitute, but he has scored two goals in matches against QPR and Sheffield United, and the Swans have lost just once when he has played.

Manager Sousa generally fields a lone striker and Trundle appears to have fallen behind former West Brom raider Craig Beattie and Stephen Dobbie in the pecking order.

Set against that is the fact that Trundle is one of only three senior strikers at the Liberty Stadium.