It’s that time of year again, the window where everyone gets all excited and not much of note ever actually happens. This year it may be different, or that at least appears to be the expectation. Coming out the other end of an embargo, Cardiff can spend again, but whether they will is another matter. Now more cosmopolitan than they have been in a very long time, they will be surveying far and wide, but I’ve had a quick scan of the domestic options and there is lots to like.
Cedric Kipre
Embed from Getty ImagesI don’t have to sell you this one. We’ve seen him up close and know how good he is. We all miss him and our loss is West Brom’s gain, where he’s been a feature of their back line this season. His contract expires in the summer though and West Brom are in the midst of a protracted takeover, so any offers for the 27-year-old may be entertained, and they only paid just shy of £1m in the first place, so…
Harry Souttar
Embed from Getty ImagesA perhaps more realistic alternative would be 25-year-old Leicester man mountain, Harry Souttar. Largely out of favour at the Championship pace setters, he has just shipped out to represent Australia at the Asian games, which should bring him back up to match fitness. His first-team chances look rather bleak for when he returns, so a loan may be on the cards.
Rhys Norrington-Davies
Embed from Getty ImagesHaving just returned to full fitness after a long-term hamstring injury, the Welsh international left back needs to get back up to speed. With Sheffield United suffering an injury crisis, he started for them yesterday and they may need to keep him around, but as that situation alleviates, who knows. The 24-year-old would not want to wave goodbye to the Premier League, but if he has designs on breaking back into the Welsh national set-up, with a potential European Championships to come, he needs to be playing. Like that other guy you all want.
Callum O’Hare
Embed from Getty ImagesLets be bold. Callum O’Hare is the sort of energetic, crafty creative player that Cardiff always seem to lack. He’s just come back from a ruptured ACL and has wasted no time in reminding everyone of his talents. A fixture at Coventry and very highly thought of, inside and outside the club, but heading out of contract all the same, which puts his club in a vulnerable position. O’Hare, 25, will likely look to stay and repay Coventry’s support, but you never know and can never have too many Callum O’s.
Will Hughes
Embed from Getty ImagesHow did Will Hughes get to be 28?! It feels like only yesterday that he was a prodigy breaking through at Derby and tipped to play for England. He instead bounced around a few London clubs and never quite lived up to his undoubted potential. Another one that will soon be heading out of contract and his next move will be pivotal. Does he want to remain a fringe player, or maybe drop down a level to become a starter? At that level, he won’t be short of options and Cardiff should be interested in someone that can play anywhere across midfield.
Joe Gelhardt and Charlie Cresswell
Embed from Getty ImagesI’ve lumped these two together because they’re both in broadly similar situations. Both 21 and victims of Leeds successful campaign, they rarely feature and need regular minutes. Gelhardt and Cresswell were loaned out to Sunderland and Millwall respectively last season, with more of the same surely on the agenda this month. Gelhardt is a stocky, skilful centre forward, while Cresswell is a no-nonsense centre back in the Mark McGuinness mould. Both are positions that need reinforcing and Cardiff’s rivals may have the solution.
Andrew Omobamidele
Embed from Getty ImagesOne of the Championship’s best young players made the mistake of joining a club that don’t seem to know what they’re doing during the summer and he currently finds himself in limbo. Andrew Omobamidele was a £20m capture and you don’t tend to lose them down the back of the sofa, but Nottingham Forest somehow did and now the classy 21-year-old centre back needs a chance to remind a fickle industry of his talents. A temporary spell somewhere is likely in his immediate future.
Chris Willock
Embed from Getty ImagesChris Willock, older brother of Newcastle’s Joe, has struggled for a combination of form, playing time and fitness in recent years, but the talent remains. The 25-year-old can play on either wing and remains one of the division’s best flair players on his day. Mired near the foot of the table, with a fast-expiring contract, he may have one eye on the door, while his club may be keen to recoup and reinvest. His direct, purposeful running and unpredictability would certainly aid Cardiff’s stuttering attack.