No longer quite as urgent as it may once have been, Neil Warnock has stated that a winger was on the list and with Kadeem Harris leaving, they do look a bit light on the right. Here are three options to fill the void;
Scott Salter – Jarrod Bowen
http://gty.im/1132372881
It just makes sense. If Cardiff are willing to spend a bit of money, Bowen should be one of the first names on their list. Able to play on both flanks, the winger was strongly linked to Cardiff in January and, in my opinion, Warnock would be wise to go back in for Bowen.
It would be a real statement signing and would add extra quality to an already strong area of Cardiff’s side.
Scott Johnson – Emile Smith-Rowe
http://gty.im/1059274996
This kid is a bit special. Think Jarrod Bowen, but faster.
Anyone that religiously watches the Europa League (guilty as charged) will have seen Emile Smith-Rowe’s eye-catching performances. Able to play in all attacking roles across midfield, the soon to be 19-year-old looks a star in the making, ready to explode on the scene.
Having rebuffed Barcelona to sign a long-term contract with Arsenal, his two goals in four Europa League games piqued the interest of RB Leipzig, who know a player when they see one. He spent the second half of last season on loan there, but only featured sporadically.
Probably not quite ready for Arsenal just yet, chances are that Smith-Rowe will leave on loan and would be a great bet for Cardiff. Neil Warnock seems to have an aversion to untried, untested talent, but in a squad where Callum Paterson seems to still qualify as a youngster, a little youthful exuberance would go a long way.
Paul Gronow – Alexis Busin
http://gty.im/686022246
It’s back to France we go for this one. Alexis Busin is currently without a club and so in many ways represents a low-risk option. Busin was contracted to AS Nancy’s until the end of June, but has moved on in hope of plying his trade at a higher level.
At just 23 years old, Busin is blessed with time on his side and plenty of tricks and pace to burn. It is admittedly a left-of-field (well right of field technically) recommendation, but Warnock is in the business of giving people an opportunity to prove others wrong and he could do a lot worse than this prospect.
Last season saw him make 16 appearances, which included both assists and goals. Whilst he’s another relative unknown, there is a strong chance that he could make the step up and prove to be yet another bargain basement buy that catches us all by surprise.