Cardiff City close to adding to squad before transfer deadline

Cardiff boss Erol Bulut expects to sign more players this month

Manager Erol Bulut says Cardiff City are “close” to adding to their squad ahead of the closure of the transfer window at the end of the month.

Bulut is keen to add three, or possibly four, newcomers to his ranks as the Championship campaign gets into full swing.

Cardiff signed five players in the summer, with strikers Chris Willock and Wilfried Kanga, defender Callum Chambers and midfielder Alex Robertson already featuring for the Bluebirds.

Winger Anwar El Ghazi is still some time away from fitness.

And with injury worries over David Turnbull and doubts over the future of centre-back Mark McGuinness, who is interesting rivals Luton Town, Bulut is keen to bolster his resources before the window closes on 30 August.

“It could happen this week, next week, you never know," said Bulut.

“We are close with a few players, we are a little bit far away with a few players, but we have a few on our list where we can go.

“Teams are delaying on purpose because we are not the only team in for some players.”

Bulut said Cardiff are looking globally to boost their squad, but admitted time is of the essence.

“This is always a negative point on transfers and that is when you get them in. You cannot change that.

“We have to work on it to get them as quick as possible. Even with the end of the month, we need a few games to get them in [to the squad].”

Bulut added: “I say three but it can be four. We will not spend money to get only some players, we want the right ones for the team."

Midfielder Robertson, signed from Manchester City, made a promising debut in Cardiff’s 2-0 Carabao Cup victory over Bristol Rovers.

Willock, Chambers and Kanga all made their Championship debuts in last weekend’s 2-0 home defeat by Sunderland.

But Dutch winger El Ghazi, signed after leaving Mainz, is still getting fit having sat out most of last season after a dispute with the German club.

He was a free agent having had his contract terminated by Mainz last autumn over a social media post referencing the conflict in Gaza.

Bulut does not believe El Ghazi will be ready for the Welsh derby at Swansea on 24 August.

The Cardiff boss said: “He is training hard. We don't want to use him so early that he gets injured or something like that. He had it before in PSV Eindhoven when he started too early and was injured for a long time.

"We don't need this. We want him fully fit to be able to play for us. He is still a few weeks away."