Hey guys, it’s that time of year again! The clocks have gone forward, the football season is limping towards the line and players are running down their contracts, accidentally on purpose. There is a healthy crop this year, but the following are the cream.
The number one draft pick – Alex Mowatt
Barnsley are this season’s success story, charging up the table and smashing the status quo. The puppet master at the centre of their all-action displays is Alex Mowatt. The former Leeds midfielder was heading out of contract at Oakwell last year, until the club activated an extra year on his deal. Now, depending on how the season pans out, Mowatt may want to stay put, but if Barnsley come up short and he decides to fly the nest, there will be takers lined around the block, and rightfully so.
Having just turned 26, this is a very rare opportunity to pick up one of the Championship’s very best players in the prime of his career. The last time Barnsley had a player of this calibre and age up for grabs, it was Stephen McPhail and Cardiff swooped. That worked out rather well and I’m sure this would too. The chase is on.
The Sibling – Jacob Murphy
Suffice to say, it hasn’t really panned out as expected for the Murphy twins. Don’t get me wrong, moving for nine-figure sums is a remarkable feat, but neither club has received the expected return on their considerable investment. Jacob has shown flashes of his ability at Newcastle this year, but he never really caught fire there, with both faith and opportunities in short supply.
He’s playing for a new deal, but should that fail to materialise, you wonder if he may fancy a return to Championship champions elect Norwich. Maybe Josh will follow him next year when his contract runs out too. Alternatively, he could always link back up with Josh at Cardiff. Maybe a reunion would bring out the best in both, or maybe it would just be double the frustration. There’s only one way to find out.
The Kieffer Moore alternative – Famara Diedhiou
The summer priority will surely be to find an alternative to Kieffer Moore, Cardiff’s 28-year-old talisman. How about Bristol City’s 28-year-old talisman Famara Diedhiou? It wouldn’t be the summer if Cardiff didn’t browse the aisles of Bristol after all.
Diedhiou was linked with Middlesbrough and various clubs throughout Europe in January, when Bristol were entertaining offers in the region of £2m for their £5m signing. The club are believed to have offered him their biggest ever deal to try and keep him, but it looks like he will instead take his chances on the open market. There are a few attractive strikers soon up for grabs, including Ashley Fletcher and his teammate Britt Assombalonga, but Diedhiou looks a great fit, if the budget will stretch that far. Rather him than Jordan Rhodes anyway.
and its about time we took someone from Sheffield Wednesday and not the other way round one – Adam Reach
Cardiff have already been linked with Adam Reach, the talented Sheffield Wednesday midfielder, so he appears to be very much on the radar. Understandably so because he is undeniably gifted and has been something of a human highlight reel with his spectacular long-range goals in recent years.
It sounds like Reach has gone a bit stale and a change of scenery is in order. His imagination and versatility (he can play anywhere along the left flank, as well as central midfield) would certainly prove an asset for whoever lands him. Having taken Kadeem Harris, Callum Paterson and Aden Flint in recent years, it may be time to reverse the flow. Again, rather him than Jordan Rhodes!