Cardiff's Gary Medel and Steven Caulker could go, says Hudson

Playing in the World Cup in Brazil for Chile has put Gary Medel in the shop window

Cardiff City will struggle to hold on to England defender Steven Caulker and Chile midfielder Gary Medel, according to club captain Mark Hudson.

Both players have release clauses in their contracts which could be triggered by the club's relegation to the Championship.

However, potential buyers would have to meet the Bluebirds' valuation for the duo.

"I imagine it will be tough to hold onto them," said Hudson.

Medel is currently in Brazil representing Chile at the World Cup. He played in the South American side's 3-1 win against Australia in their opening match in Group B and the 2-0 win over Spain that followed.

The 26-year-old joined Cardiff from Sevilla in August 2013 for a club-record £11m.

His arrival came a week after 22-year-old England international defender Caulker, who cost the Welsh club more than £8m from Tottenham.

But they could not save Cardiff from relegation from the Premier League as they finished bottom of the table.

Central defender Hudson expects the pair to be sold.

"Obviously it's well written that they've got release clauses in their contracts and they are both players that are highly sought after," said Hudson.

"Gary [Medel] started well the other day in the World Cup.

"If he goes on and has a really good World Cup I can't see why there wouldn't be teams wanting him.

"I praise Steven Caulker all the time. He's a success at the club for me.

"He's a young British centre-half who's only going to get better and a leader in his own right, so there's going to be teams after him."

Hudson also thinks it looks as if the Bluebirds will lose striker Fraizer Campbell.

The former Manchester United player was the club's top scorer last season, but Leicester City have triggered a release clause in the 26-year-old's contract by offering a sum close to £1m.

"He's another player with a trigger fee and a very small one for a player of his calibre and the way he performs and works hard," said Hudson.

"I'm sure there'll be teams queuing up to take him. It will be tough to hold onto him for sure."

Cardiff have signed five players this summer.

Three of the new recruits are strikers Javi Guerra, Adam Le Fondre and Federico Macheda.

Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has also signed Austrian midfielder Guido Burgstaller from Rapid Vienna and Kagisho Dikgacoi on a free from Crystal Palace.

Hudson, 32, has been impressed with the new signings.

He says the Bluebirds, who kick-off their Championship campaign away against Blackburn Rovers on Friday, 8 August, are aiming to win automatic promotion.

"The players that he's [Solskjaer] added look exciting and there's experience in the Championship there as well so that can only help," said Hudson.

"Our aim is to clinch one of those top two spots. It has to be our ambition to do that this season.

"We need to focus on us. We need to make sure that we have the start that we need, get points on the board and be a tight knit group and go and try and do what we did a couple of years ago."