Cardiff City

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No news is not good news when it comes to the transfer market and football fans.

It has been a slow summer so far at Cardiff City, with the long wait for manager Erol Bulut to agree a new contract dominating the agenda in the first month of the close season.

Now, with Bulut’s new contract sorted, Bluebirds supporters are left waiting to hear about summer transfer business.

After all, there are a number of vacancies to be filled in Bulut’s squad.

With the start of pre-season training beginning to appear on the horizon, there is little sign yet of new faces arriving at the Cardiff City Stadium.

But it is not as if Cardiff are the only club in this situation.

In fact, the Championship transfer market has been remarkably quiet this summer.

You can almost count on one hand the number of done deals so far in the second tier.

With the transfer window officially opening later this week, perhaps a few more deals will start to materialise.

But many more will not happen until pre-season, while there will be the inevitable late rush before the window closes at the end of August.

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Cardiff City’s Rubin Colwill reckons the 2023-24 season was the best of his career.

Attacking midfielder Colwill, 22, scored three goals in 40 appearances as the Bluebirds finished in mid-table in their first campaign under Erol Bulut.

The Cardiff manager, who this week ended speculation over his future by agreeing a new contract, suggested last month that Colwill had taken a “big, big step forward” during the course of the season and that Premier League clubs were monitoring his progress.

Colwill, who is with the Wales squad for friendlies against Gibraltar on Thursday and Slovakia this Sunday, says he “enjoyed” his first year working with Bulut.

“It’s probably been the best season of my career so far,” Colwill told BBC Sport Wales.

“I’ve played in a lot of games and I feel I’ve improved.”

Colwill, who shot to prominence when he was named in the Wales squad for Euro 2020, has been troubled by fitness issues in the early stages of his career.

But the Cardiff academy product says he has “learned how to deal with injuries better”.

“I’m really enjoying my football at the moment,” he added.

“You get a lot of ups and downs while playing football – everyone does.

“Things seem to go better when you’re enjoying your football. I try to play with a smile on my face.”

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It may have been a long wait to end the uncertainty of Erol Bulut’s future, but Cardiff City’s manager has no time to waste when it comes to planning for next season – and beyond.

Bulut, 49, has finally been confirmed as the Bluebirds boss for the upcoming campaign after agreeing a new two-year deal this week.

It means Cardiff can now press on with a number of details looking ahead to the 2024-25 season - including plans for pre-season, which are understood to being finalised.

Similarly, Cardiff’s retained list is due shortly now that the manager is formally in position.

But there is unlikely to any groundbreaking news for supporters to digest when it is eventually released. There are only two senior players who see their deals expire this summer, and neither have figured prominently under Bulut so far.

Sheyi Ojo is out of contract having spent the past year at Cardiff’s ‘sister club’ KV Kortrijk, while 32-year-old Romaine Sawyers made only two league appearances – both from the bench – after being told by Bulut to find a club last August.

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So, as he returns to work in south Wales, the futures of others in his squad will be of greater significance to Bulut as he looks through his in-tray.

Because as it stands, Cardiff have 11 players who will see their contracts end next summer – including a number of key players.

That includes Wales captain Aaron Ramsey, 33, who signed a two-year deal when he rejoined his boyhood club last summer, although there are some suggestions there is an option for a further year.

Likewise, Bluebirds skipper Joe Ralls has a contract that - on the face of it - runs until next summer. But the fresh terms he penned in March includes a one-year extension based on appearances.

Bulut showed last year he is happy to plan ahead. He was quick to tie down Ryan Wintle, Mark McGuiness, Perry Ng and Rubin Coilwill who were all also among those who signed new contracts on the 49-year-old’s watch.

Jak Alnwick also signed for a further year last September, and has one more season left to run on that deal – although he is likely to now play back-up to January addition Evan Horvath.

And he may be tempted to wrap up a longer stay for centre-back Dimitrios Goutas, the Greek centre-back signing a two year deal when he joined in August 2023 before going on to make 37 outings in an impressive debut campaign.

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Elsewhere, Jamilu Collins has another year to run after his deal extended during a campaign where he made 41 outings following an injury-hit first year in south Wales.

With Cardiff’s attacking threat having been under scrutiny at times last term, it could be a key period for a trio of frontmen with the contracts of Callum Robinson, Yakou Meite and Kion Etete all due to run out in 12 months’ time.

Likewise, Mahlon Romeo – who made 18 appearances last term – is also out of contract in the summer of 2025.

There are already question marks over whether some will stay for the remainders of their deals, including Ebou Adams who enjoyed a successful loan spell at Derby County last term as they earned promotion back to the Championship and could be the subject of further interest from the Rams.

Fellow midfielder Andy Rinomhota, 27, also sees his deal expire in 2025 having been on loan last season as part of the Rotherham side relegated to League One.

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Former Cardiff City striker Robert Earnshaw has welcomed the end of the uncertainty surrounding Erol Bulut's future.

But he has warned the delay on reaching an agreement with the Bluebirds boss may have already caused harm to plans for next season.

Out of contract at the end of the season, Bulut is understood to have agreed in principle to remain at Cardiff City Stadium next season following five weeks of talks.

The club are expected to confirm the new deal in the coming days.

"Finally!," Earnshaw told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast.

"There would have been interest [in him] because he's done an excellent job. He's stabilised the club; yes they finished in 12th but looking at the previous season to this season, [it was] way, way better.

"It was concerning because it's taken so long; we knew there were discussions straight after the season but it's been a worry.

"To be honest with you, I thought he was going to leave because it's taken too long and Cardiff City unfortunately are already behind...in their recruitment in preparing for next season."

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Earnshaw, who made more than 200 appearances for the Bluebirds across two spells, was among a number of former players who had expressed concern at the length of time it was taking to sort their managerial situation.

But he says 49-year-old Bulut now has the chance to build on the work of his first season in south Wales in what will be a milestone year for the club.

“They need to build," said the ex-Wales striker. "Cardiff City is a great football club, the fan base is great, there really is massive potential for Cardiff City.

"It is the 125th year so it is going to be huge but Cardiff City need to pick the right recruitment, the right players.

"If the manager stays now you’ve got a guy that’s going to be there and help build because Cardiff City need to build."

Earnshaw says he thinks Cardiff should now target promotion from the Championship, claiming play-offs would be a possibility.

He added: "Looking at the season last year it’s going to be difficult but Cardiff City have that potential.”

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Callum O’Dowda will join a sizeable list of Cardiff City players on international duty this summer after being called by for the Republic of Ireland.

The Bluebirds winger had a injury-hit campaign, including missing most of the final month of the season, but finished fit enough to try and add to his 28 caps.

The 29-year-old’s been named in interim manager John O’Shea’s squad for Ireland’s games against Euro 2024 finalists Hungary in Dublin and Portugal in Aveiro.

There’s no place for striker Callum Robinson who has not been selected since last November.

But there are several other Bluebirds who will be involved with their countries over the next few weeks, including midfielder Rubin Colwill who has been called up by Rob Page for Wales’ friendlies with Gibraltar (6 June) and Slovakia (9 June).

Midfielder Manolis Siopis is in the Greece squad who face Euro 2024 hosts Germany next Friday before playing Malta, although three-times capped defender Dimitrios Goutas has not been recalled.

And it could be a busy summer for goalkeeper Evan Horvath who has been named in the training squad for the US’s friendlies with Columbia and Brazil ahead of the Copa America that kicks off later in June.

Jamilu Collins, however, has not been named by former Ajax star Finidi George for Nigeria’s World Cup 2026 qualifiers with South Africa and Benin.

Romaine Sawyers – currently out of contract – is in the St Kitts and Nevis squad for their qualifying games with Costa Rica and Bahamas.

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The manager of Cardiff City’s ‘sister club’ says he would “love” to take charge at the Bluebirds.

Freyr Alexandersson has earned praise after saving Belgian side KV Kortrijk from relegation from the country’s top division.

It follows a similar rescue act in his previous role with Danish outfit Lyngby.

Cardiff owner Vincent Tan is a majority shareholder at Kortrijk, who had been bottom of the Belgian Pro League when Alexandersson was appointed in January.

Now, amid ongoing uncertainty over Erol Bulut’s future, Alexandersson has told reporters in Iceland of his ambitions to manage in British football, claiming he has held previous discussions with Cardiff “management”.

“Vincent Tan and (Cardiff chief executive) Ken Choo look after both clubs,” Alexandersson told Icelandic football outlet Footbolti, external.

“It’s no secret when I spoke to Kortrijk I also had a conversation with the management of Cardiff that I’m going to train in England, to be a manager in the Championship or Premier League.

“There are big dreams and I realise that. It would be great if it was Cardiff; I would love to coach Cardiff at some point.”

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A former manager of the women’s national side in Iceland, as well as assistant with the men’s team, Alexandersson made his breakthrough with Lyngby Boldklub, helping the former Danish champions back into the top flight and then pulling off a dramatic fight for safety in their first season.

Brought to Kortrijk when the club had just 10 points from their opening 20 games, the the 41-year-old from Reykjavik completed the survival mission over the weekend with a win in the relegation play-off.

Along with now out-of-contract winger Seyi Ojo, Cardiff striker Isaak Davies spent the season on loan at KVK, ending the campaign as their top scorer and player of the season.

January signing Ryotaro Tsunoda was also sent to the Belgian club to adapt to European football after his move from Yokohama Marinos.

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Chris Gunter hopes Aaron Ramsey will “come back flying in pre-season” after the midfielder's injury-hit spell since he rejoined Cardiff City last summer.

Ramsey managed just 13 Cardiff appearances in 2023-24, while he featured only twice during Wales’ European Championship qualifying campaign.

There was speculation that Wales’ captain, 33, was considering his international future in the wake of March’s Euro 2024 play-off defeat to Poland.

But former Wales defender Gunter, who joined the Wales coaching staff in 2023, says his long-time international team-mate still has a big part to play.

“I have been lucky enough to play with and watch Aaron for 15 years or so now, so I know that when he is fit and available he is one of the top players we have,” Gunter said.

“Hopefully Aaron can have a bit of time off over the summer, spend some time with his family and then come back in pre-season for Cardiff and hit the floor running.

“Then before we know it the Nations League will be upon us.”

Bluebirds academy product Gunter, 34, says he felt the time had come to hang up his boots when he retired last year.

But the former right-back, in his new role on Rob Page’s coaching staff, thinks Ramsey is hungry to continue playing.

“The type of person Aaron is, he is one of the most determined and professional players I have known,” Gunter added.

“Whatever he wants to do, normally he goes out and does it and I don’t see it being any different for a good few years yet.”

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Erol Bulut's Cardiff City future? 'It's getting tiresome'

Four weeks after the end of the Championship season, Erol Bulut’s future as Cardiff city manager remains as uncertain as ever.

The Turkish boss has yet to agree a new contract with the Bluebirds and that has left some fans frustrated.

Ben James from the ‘View From The Ninian’ podcast told BBC Radio Wales Sport: “It's ridiculous really.

“A couple of weeks ago, I got told that he might be sticking around and that they’re close to coming to an agreement and two weeks later I think we’re even further away from the truth.

“It happened last summer, it probably happened the summer before and it will probably happen next summer, it just keeps going around, it's the circus that is Cardiff City and it’s getting a bit tiresome.

“I was thinking back to the last home game of the season when [Chairman Mehmet] Dalman was in the press conference talking about how he was going out for dinner that night with Bulut and you thought at that point that maybe they were going to get ahead of it for once and they were actually going to sort it out before the season came to a climax.

“But here we are almost a month later and it hasn't happened. I understand from Bulut’s point of view, I think the initial talk was that we’d offer to extend for a year and he wanted a bit more of a guarantee - if that is the truth - and he’s right to want a guarantee because his family are still back in Turkey as far as I understand it, he wants to bring them over and have a bit more security for his job and if we’re not willing to offer that maybe Bulut’s right to look away?

“It's just so annoying when you look around the league and other clubs are stealing a march on certain players and certain transfers, on the free agents coming out, and we’re still stuck here not sure where we are going next season”.

Rob Phillips
BBC Wales Football Correspondent

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Former Cardiff City captain Darren Purse Purse says the club’s youth set-up is in a “good place”.

The Cardiff Under-21s boss says that in his role, results are secondary to producing youngsters for the first team.

The ex-Bluebirds defender is also pleased with the progress being made by youngsters at the Championship club.

Purse said: “My job as under-21 coach and manager at Cardiff City is not to win football matches, my job is to get the next Cian Ashford and the next Joel Colwill through to the first team.

“I looked at my first game when I walked in the building, I had four first-team scholars start our game. And they were four we actually released at the end of the season. It's been a real transition over the last two years.

“What we have done with the likes of Cian Ashford, Luey Giles, Dylan Lawlor and players like that is give them a platform in the under-21s to go and perform.”

Young Bluebirds Ashford, Giles, Colwill and Raheem Conte tasted senior action towards the end of the 2023-24 season.

Their elevation vindicated Purse’s approach, amid some criticism as Cardiff’s under-21s finished second from bottom in the Professional Development League South.

“Cian Ashford and Joel Colwill will hopefully go and have great careers. I think they are exceptional young footballers," added Purse.

“If people want to slate me on social media about results, I will take it on the chin all day long because my job is to get the boys that have come through into the first team in the last few weeks of the season.”

Purse, who was full of praise for academy chief Gavin Chesterfield, says sending players out on loan rather than making them play youth football at Cardiff has helped the club's cause.

“We will have first-team scholars playing for the under-21s next year," he said.

"If you want to dig at me because we are not getting results because of that, then so be it.

“But the first-year and second-year scholars we have, we think are really good prospects. They will play for the under-21s and the club in two, three, four years' time will be better for it.”

Purse made 103 league starts for Cardiff in a career featuring more than 650 appearances.

He was one of 20 coaches awarded a Uefa pro licence at the Football Association of Wales’ (FAW) national conference last weekend after completing what he called a "tough" two-year course.

Davide Ancelloti, son of Real Madrid boss Carlo, was among Purse's course cohort.

“I love the coaching side and management side, but putting stuff on black and white which you have to do and in presentations, is not my bag," Purse said.

“What I would say, is the 19 other people who have done it with me have made the course for me. It's been so emotional.

“All 20 of us have been in tears at some points. Its been amazing, it's been a brilliant two years and is something I will look back on fondly. I have friends for life.”

The coaches who achieved their pro licence qualifications with the FAW this year: Aaron Briggs (FC Wolfsburg), Andrew Mangan (Bristol Rovers), Dan Micciche (Everton), Darren Davies (Swansea City), Darren Purse (Cardiff), Davide Ancelotti (Real Madrid), Jamie Crowther (Stockport), Jonathan Jones (Barry Town), Lauren Smith (Bristol City Women), Mile Jedinak (Spurs), Martin Devaney (Barnsley), Neil Ryan (FA), Neil Taylor (FAW), Nilton Terroso (Bulawayo Chiefs), Richard Kitzbichler (Bayern Munich), Ryan Maye (Aston Villa), Seyi Olofinjana, Thomas Courts, Tom Ramasut (Cardiff) and Vitor Matos (Liverpool).

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Isaak Davies is due to return to Cardiff City in pre-season after a successful loan spell at Belgian side Kortrijk.

The 22-year-old has been named player of the year at Kortrijk, where he scored 12 goals in 34 appearances.

Wales Under-21 international Davies is under contract at Cardiff, the club where he came through the academy ranks, until the summer of 2025 - though there has been speculation about transfer interest in the forward following his impressive stint in Belgium.

Kortrijk avoided relegation from the top flight by beating Lommel in a play-off over the weekend.

Kortrijk are owned by Cardiff owner Vincent Tan. Davies' fellow Bluebirds Sheyi Ojo and Ryotaro Tsunoda have also been on loan at the club in 2023-24.

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Former Cardiff City winger Josh Murphy has spoken of his delight at the prospect of playing Championship football again after a "tough few years" in his career.

Murphy, 29, scored both goals as Oxford United secured promotion to the second tier with a 2-0 win over Bolton Wanderers in the League One play-off final at Wembley.

It means Murphy will potentially face his former club, who paid around £11 million for his services in 2018.

Murphy was released by the Bluebirds after an underwhelming four year spell at the club and has since been rebuilding his career at the Kassam Stadium.

"I've always believed in myself. I had a tough couple of years, had a tough year last year and the few years before that were tough, so it was either sink or swim and today I've swam. I'm just buzzing," Murphy told BBC Radio Oxford after the final.

"I remember being booed off last season, so its been some turnaround.

"It's crazy, my brother sent a text in to our family group chat, 'this last time last year I got told to find another club' and now I've just got the club their objective of getting promoted, so I'm just lost for words.

"I'm just buzzing for the boys and the fans. We are all going to be playing Championship football next year".

Murphy's contract is set to expire next month and so far no extension has been agreed.

"I want to play as high as I can, I think I owe it to myself, I owe it to my family and I think I owe it to the club," added Murphy.

"I just want to take my mind off eveyrthing, its been a long, tough season and I just want to enjoy my summer".

Ex-Bluebirds Joe Bennett, Ciaran Brown and Mark Harris also featured in the Oxford team that won at Wembley.

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Cardiff City might not be there, but Wembley is getting ready for a Welsh invasion this weekend.

Remarkably, there are 15 Welsh links to the League One play-off final between Oxford United and Bolton Wanderers.

And Mark Harris hopes the Cardiff connection will prove key for Oxford as they look to return to the second tier of English football for the first time since 1999.

Harris is part of a quartet of former Bluebirds in the United squad, along with defenders Ciaron Brown and Joe Bennett and winger Josh Murphy.

"There's four of us so hopefully we can get the job done and get us back up into the Championship this weekend," said Harris, whose team-mate Billy Bodin has been capped once by Wales.

"It's a big thing for these guys to get back to the level they used to be at."

Another ex Bluebird, striker Cameron Jerome, is expected to be part of Bolton's squad after substitute appearances in their play-off semi-final games against Barnsley.

Almost certainly starting for Wanderers, meanwhile, will be Newport-born Aaron Collins, who has scored 14 goals in League One this season.

Collins - who was working in a fast-food restaurant 10 years ago to make ends meet - would play Championship football for the first time if he wins promotion.

Harris' international colleague Josh Sheehan is also likely to be in the Wanderers team, along with former Wales youth defender Gethin Jones, who has gone on to represent Australia at senior level.

Two other Welshmen, Declan John and Zachary Ashworth, have also been on Bolton's books this season.

"I played with Josh when I was on loan at Newport so I got to know him quite well," said Harris.

"I know Aaron through football circles and think I played with him for Wales at younger age groups, so it's going to be a good match-up.

"I've never played at Wembley before so I can't wait."

Especially if Harris manages to net his 20th goal of the season under the famous arch.

Playing and scoring regularly for Oxford explains why he has no regrets about the decision to cut ties with Cardiff last summer after almost 20 years on their books.

"I've said many times it was a tough decision to leave Cardiff. I'd been there since I was five and I loved my time there," said Swansea-born Harris.

"But it came to the point where I had to decide what was best for me, and at the time I thought that was Oxford.

"I've been playing lots of football, and hopefully I can help Oxford get up into the Championship and get back to the level I was at.

"Scoring my 20th goal of the season at Wembley... you couldn't get much better than that."

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Cardiff City must lodge their end-of-season retained list with the EFL this coming weekend.

The retained list will show which players are to be released at the end of their contracts this summer and which, if any, could be offered new deals.

Romaine Sawyers and winger Sheyi Ojo are the two senior players whose Cardiff contracts are about to come to an end.

Midfielder Sawyers, 32, has made 45 appearances since joining from West Bromwich Albion in 2022, though only six of those came during 2023-24.

Winger Ojo, 26, also signed in the summer of 2022 – when Steve Morison was Bluebirds boss – having previously enjoyed a loan spell in the Welsh capital.

He played 40 games in the 2022-23 campaign, scoring twice, but has spent the majority of this campaign on loan at Belgian side Kortrijk, where he has scored once in 29 appearances.

Midfielder Kieron Evans and goalkeeper Rohan Luthra are among a number of younger players whose current deals expire this summer.

All EFL clubs must send their retained lists to the EFL by the third Saturday in May – which falls on the 18th of the month.

However, the deadline does not guarantee that news on Cardiff’s out-of-contract players will be made public by the club this weekend, as they are only required to inform the league.