Cardiff summer transfer plans explained:Who's coming in/out

Cardiff City's summer transfer plans explained: Who's coming in, which key stars will go out


By Paul Abddanato

Friday 14th June 2019


Neil Etheridge, Will Vaulks, Kenneth Zohore and Cardiff City boss Neil Warnock


The fixtures are out next week, always an exciting time of year for Cardiff City fans.

But what is actually happening behind the scenes as Neil Warnock looks to compile a squad capable of winning an instant return back to the Premier League?

Bluebirds supporters have started to get a little restless at the lack of any newcomers, while there has been talk of chairman Mehmet Dalman looking to buy Charlton .

However, Cardiff's four-man transfer committee, made up of Warnock, Dalman, owner Vincent Tan and chief executive Ken Choo, have actually been working hard behind the scenes to sign off deals.

Names are not being revealed at this stage, but we take a look at Warnock's likely planning for the 2019-20 campaign - including which Cardiff players are attracting interest and could be sold to balance the books.








THE TRUTH ABOUT ETHERIDGE

Cardiff's goalkeeper is said to be attracting £8million interest from Liverpool and Aston Villa, but we're told NO bid has been tabled from anyone for Neil Etheridge.

Much as Warnock loves his number one, if that sort of money was offered the Bluebirds would probably snap it up and make a sizeable profit on a player they signed from Walsall on a free transfer.


Neil Etheridge has attracted interest

At 29, Etheridge is one Cardiff star whose stock rose hugely during the Premier League campaign. As with David Marshall last time, the Bluebirds keeper excelled in the top flight and can't be held accountable in any way for relegation.

It is Warnock's intention to keep hold of the bulk of the side who came within a whisker of remaining in the Premier League. In other words, a 'Hands Off Our Stars' approach.

But let's see what happens with Etheridge as the summer goes on. Warnock is believed to be close to unearthing another goalkeeper from the lower leagues, who he believes can mirror Etheridge and shine at a higher level.

There is some talk this could be Newport County's Joe Day, but we'll see in time.

Let's not forget Alex Smithies, either. He signed for £4m from QPR last year but, because of Etheridge's excellence, hasn't had a look-in.

And the club are still talking to Brian Murphy, although he may end up being released.


Warnock doesn't need four goalkeepers. But Etheridge, Smithies and the unnamed newcomer he rates so highly would be a terrific starting base for his side in the Championship, real strength in depth.






MORRISON, MANGA, MENDEZ ATTRACT INTEREST

Cardiff players will be linked with any manner of clubs during the so-called silly season of the transfer window.

But two who are genuinely courting interest are skipper Sean Morrison and winger Nathaniel Mendez-Laing.

We're told there is Premier League interest in Morrison, which might raise some eyebrows. However, he does have leadership skills and after a tough start to the top flight campaign bounced back to finish the season well.


The interest in Mendez-Laing also comes after an excellent ending to the season, when he scored twice in a 2-0 win at Manchester United.

Again, Warnock does not want to lose either man and hopes to persuade them to stay with Cardiff as key figures in the Championship campaign.

The same applies to Bruno Manga. Like Etheridge, his reputation soared in the Premier League and he is a target for Turkish side Trabzonspor, who can offer the carrot of European football.

There must be genuine fears Manga could go, although Cardiff remain desperate to keep hold of him.






WHAT NEXT FOR MURPHY?

Josh Murphy is wanted by a couple of Premier League clubs

Josh Murphy is said to be wanted by Crystal Palace and Burnley, each prepared to make £11m bids which would enable Cardiff to recoup their money.

Any Eagles swoop could depend on Wilfried Zaha leaving, with Murphy a potential replacement on the left wing.

This one, however, we should treat with a little bit of a pinch of salt, although Warnock was critical of Murphy's so-called lack of effort in training at one point of the season.

WALES STAR TO JOIN

Warnock needs a completely new midfield after the summer departures of Aron Gunnarsson, Harry Arter and Victor Camarasa.

It does look like Wales newcomer Will Vaulks will be named as a Cardiff player, following lower club spells with Falkirk and Rotherham.

He was plucked from nowhere to play for Ryan Giggs' side, making his debut against Trinidad and Tobago when he set up Ben Woodburn's matchwinning goal.

Vaulks also came on to steady the ship in the closing moments of the 1-0 Euro win over Slovakia, while he started the recent 2-1 defeat in Croatia.

He is said to be a Warnock sort of player and certainly wasted no time bossing around the likes of Joe Allen and Gareth Bale in the Slovakia match, even though it was his first competitive match for Wales.


Warnock likes that type of leadership on the pitch and as things stand it seems Vaulks and Joe Ralls will be the Bluebirds' central midfield pairing.

However, Warnock knows he needs more than that and is targeting another dominant midfielder who will go straight into the starting XI.









THE ZOHORE DILEMMA

Cardiff set the template for the new season in their last game at Old Trafford, when Warnock picked a front four of Kenneth Zohore, Bobby Reid, Josh Murphy and Mendez-Laing.

It was the quartet many fans had been crying out for, a fearsome foursome full of pace, power, panache, direct running, flair and goal threat.

Finally they were teamed together and tore Manchester United's defence apart on the break. It was the best performance we saw from Cardiff's forwards the whole year.

If those four could repeat that, they would rip up the Championship and spearhead the promotion charge.

But, unfortunately, there is a rider. Cardiff were already down when they went to Old Trafford, the pressure was off and Warnock could go for it without any undue worries.

Given he does tend to err on the side of caution it remains to be seen whether he will go for the bold formation again, particularly given Zohore's well documented inconsistencies.

Zohore at his best can be amongst the top strikers in the Championship. But will Warnock wait for that Zohore best, or will he decide to cash in and sign another centre-forward?


Cardiff know they won't get any more the kind of £15m fee Brighton once offered for Zohore.

But he might court £5m interest from abroad, money Warnock could reinvest in a striker he feels might offer more week in, week out guarantees.

Gary Madine and Omar Bogle would also need to be moved on to balance numbers.









THE PREVIOUS TARGETS

Wesley Moraes, a previous Cardiff target, has signed for Aston Villa

After the Emiliano Sala tragedy Cardiff made another big-money swoop for Brazilian front-man Wesley Moraes, of Club Bruges.

It would have been a bold signing, but that horse has bolted with Moraes joining Aston Villa in a £22m deal.

Another player Cardiff targeted was French midfielder Adrien Tameze from Nice, who Warnock rates really highly as a dynamic midfielder.

It seemed he was coming, but Nice manager Patrick Vieira persuaded Tameze to wait and see what developed this summer.

Intriguingly Cardiff are playing Nice in a pre-season friendly, but it appears Tameze is out of bounds with Everton keen to land him.

He'll want Premier League football.





THE POSITIONS WARNOCK PLANS TO STRENGTHEN

Vaulks and a goalkeeper appear to be coming in. Warnock also needs at least one other midfielder and is looking at a centre-back, striker, right-back and winger.

Sol Bamba will miss the start of the season so Cardiff need cover there.

Warnock is intent on putting together a squad with enough depth and quality that Cardiff can cope with the Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday demands of the Championship and go up again.

But the plan is to bring in the newcomers to supplement the stars already there, not to replace them.

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Trabzonsports can only offer the same as Barry town,regards European football,as they have to play the preliminary round also,they had a fairly good season for them,but the turkish super lig is not that high in standard,outside the big Istanbul sides,most would struggle in the championship,backward step imho.

More journalist guesswork.

So if we were to lose Etheridge, Morrison, Manga, Mendez, Josh Murphy and possibly Ken and replace them with players from League 2 like the goalie from Newport and Vaulks who was part of a team relegated from the Championship then we are going to be significantly weaker than the last time we were in the Championship.

The best chance the club has of being promoted again is to keep ALL of it's better players and add a number of quality players especially to the midfield and up front.

Surely the financial position of the club is such that there should be no need to sell any first team regular this season and there should be funds available to strengthen without having to sell important players.

More journalist guesswork.

So if we were to lose Etheridge, Morrison, Manga, Mendez, Josh Murphy and possibly Ken and replace them with players from League 2 like the goalie from Newport and Vaulks who was part of a team relegated from the Championship then we are going to be significantly weaker than the last time we were in the Championship.

The best chance the club has of being promoted again is to keep ALL of it's better players and add a number of quality players especially to the midfield and up front.

Surely the financial position of the club is such that there should be no need to sell any first team regular this season and there should be funds available to strengthen without having to sell important players.

Totally agree with you regarding the journalism and the need to add quality not just to supplement the squad.

More journalist guesswork.

So if we were to lose Etheridge, Morrison, Manga, Mendez, Josh Murphy and possibly Ken and replace them with players from League 2 like the goalie from Newport and Vaulks who was part of a team relegated from the Championship then we are going to be significantly weaker than the last time we were in the Championship.

The best chance the club has of being promoted again is to keep ALL of it's better players and add a number of quality players especially to the midfield and up front.

Surely the financial position of the club is such that there should be no need to sell any first team regular this season and there should be funds available to strengthen without having to sell important players.

Totally agree with you regarding the journalism and the need to add quality not just to supplement the squad.

Absolutely right.
I don't know why they don't get some actual journalists to be football journalists.

I suppose the paper has to fill its pages with some drivel this time of year, as there's nothing to write about otherwise.