Neil Harris has his hands tied in the January transfer window. He has been restricted to temps and sloppy seconds, which may not be such a bad thing, as Cardiff have a far better track record operating at that end of the market. They need killer though, not filler.
They have enough options already, what they need now are players that can come I and make a difference. We’ve covered a lot of these players in the past; the likes of Dwight Gayle, Matej Vydra, Jonathan Kodja and Jordan Ibe are still doing the rounds. Here are another five that might appeal and even fancy it.
Domingos Quina
Chances are that anyone that saw Watford dismantle Cardiff last season will have come away asking who the little tyro was that dominated midfield throughout. Why that was Domingos Quina and he sure does look a real talent. The 20-year-old has only played 14 minutes in the Premier League this season and he needs more to aid his development.
Signed for a mere £1m from fellow strugglers West Ham in the summer of 2018, he is the sort of player that could make the Cardiff midfield a whole lot classier and might even be tempted to stay on should all go well.
Billy Sharp
Championship legend Billy Sharp is getting lots of end of decade accolades for his second-tier exploits, but he is struggling for appearances in the top flight at Sheffield United. With Olly McBurnie, Lys Mousset, David McGoldrick and Callum Robinson all playing significantly more than him, he is starting to look like the odd man out.
Now 33, Sharp will not want to waste any time on the bench or even in the stands. The closest you’ll get to Michael Chopra and maybe that’s just what Cardiff need right now. Maybe we can swap him for Gary Madine?!
James Justin
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When Brendan Rogers was at Celtic, he identified Luton Town right back James Justin as a transfer priority. He finally signed him for Leicester and £6m looked money well spent for one of the Football League’s brightest prospects. Unfortunately, he is up against Ricardo Pereira, one of the best full backs in the top flight, so has been restricted to scraps so far.
Harris has already identified the need to add a full back next month and Justin, who is already an England Under-21 international, has yet to play at Championship level. Cardiff could provide that opportunity and further aid his development. Honourable mention; Tottenham’s Kyle Walker-Peters.
Tahith Chong
Tahith Chong and Angel Gomes are two of Manchester United’s brightest prospects and both are heading out of contract in the summer. As a result, some of the biggest clubs in Europe are beginning to circle. In the meantime, two talented youngsters are in need of regular game time.
Both are fab, but I’ve gone for Chong here because I’ve already chosen Quina, a central midfielder in the same vein as Gomes. Chong is a right winger, a position that Cardiff would be worth reinforcing, and he also has nicer hair.
Wilfried Bony
Now I’m not sure about this one. It’s one of those. There is a 90% chance of failure, but that 10%… oh baby. A fit and firing Wilfried Bony would be a weapon in the Championship, but what are the chances? Having just turned 31, he has been training with Le Havre, and Newport County before that, but despite being a high-profile free agent, clubs have not exactly been lining up to sign him.
Whether that relates to Bony’s wage demands or conditioning is hard to ascertain. With his injury record, it may well just be a risk too far for some. As a short-term measure until the end of the season though, you wonder if the potential benefits outweigh the risk. Weigh may be the operative word though.