Cardiff City: Neil Warnock says club need 'five or six' signings

Cardiff City manager Neil Warnock says the club need "five or six" summer signings after their promotion to the Premier League in order to stay up.

However, the record-breaking boss, who has achieved an eighth promotion, says he will not risk team spirit by signing "big-time Charlies".

"We want to stay up and to do that we have to be at the top end at the bottom half of the table," Warnock explained.

Warnock is also confident of keeping out of contract Aron Gunnarsson.

The Bluebirds secured promotion from the Championship with Sunday's 0-0 draw at home against Reading.

Bluebirds owner Vincent Tan has promised Warnock funds to improve his squad this summer, but the 69-year-old does not expect big money to spend, nor does he feel it is necessary, as he begins planning for the top flight.

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"It's been a wonderful 24 hours for me and the family," he told BBC Sport Wales.

"It was such a relief… because we deserve to be where we are and now the planning for next season starts from today, really.

"I've got to plan pre-season straight away and I've already got transfer targets that I have got to try and get permission from the board to try and sign.

"Vincent and the owners know I don't spend silly money, they are aware of that, but at the same time we do need five or six players to add to the squad to give us a chance really.

"I've got a great group of lads and I think most of them can play in the Premier League. And we need players to supplement that; we won't be signing any big name, big-time Charlies who will disrupt our spirit."

Warnock is hopeful keeping midfielder Gunnarsson whose contract expires at the end of June.

The 29-year-old, who joined Cardiff from Coventry in 2011, may have played his last game for the club after rejecting a new contract in November.

Gunnarsson is currently fighting to regain fitness for Iceland's first World Cup game against Argentina on 16 June and Warnock previously said he would be 'daft' to leave the Bluebirds if they were promoted.

Asked if the promotion would change the likelihood of keeping the Icelandic international, Warnock said: "Of course I can persuade him to stay. Where is he going to go that is better than us?

"Which manager is going to pick him? I told his wife at the player of the year do, 'he will have to come crawling to me now'.

"He didn't get in the team here before I arrived."