City signed left-sided defender Ryley Towler in July 2025, paying Sky Bet Championship side Portsmouth an undisclosed fee to complete the transfer.
Towler came through the youth system at Bristol City, joining at U9 level and developing into a versatile, left-footed defender capable of playing at left-back or centre-back. He made his senior debut in February 2021, starting in an FA Cup tie against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.
He gained valuable first-team experience through a number of loan spells, first with Grimsby Town during the 2021–22 season, where he made over a dozen appearances, before joining AFC Wimbledon for the 2022–23 campaign. During his time with Wimbledon, he scored his first senior goal and continued his development with regular game time before returning to Bristol City in January 2023.
In January 2023, Towler signed for Portsmouth. He made his debut Pompey debut against Bolton Wanderers before starting in a 2-0 home win against Exeter City a week later. Towler scored three times during his time at Fratton Park, with two coming in one game against Bolton in a 3-1 victory. He featured 12 times in the Sky Bet Championship for Pompey, scoring in a 4-0 home victory against Swansea City.
Towler made the move to the Imps ahead of the 2025/26 season. He scored twice in pre-season, once against Bromley in a warm-weather training camp in Portugal before notching another one against West Bromwich Albion at the LNER Stadium.
He started the first seven games of City's Sky Bet League One campaign, and now has over 40 appearances in red and white. The defender scored his first competitive goal in a 2-2 draw at Huddersfield in added time to complete a battling fightback on the road.