BLUEBIRDS EYE A PERFECT TEN
CARDIFF City are confident of making their 10th signing of the summer in the coming days, amid suggestions they are interested in Leeds United’s Tyler Roberts.
The Bluebirds have made nine permanent signings so far in a window which represents the biggest squad overhaul the club has seen in years.
And signing No. 10 isn’t too far away, either. Sources have said the club are hopeful of getting another player through the door this week, in time for the first pre-season friendly against Cambridge United on Saturday.
Cardiff are among a clutch of Championship clubs interested in taking Roberts on loan, according to the Daily Mail.
It claims QPR, Hull City, Birmingham City and Huddersfield Town are alongside the Bluebirds in enquiring about taking the 23-year-old winger next season.
Roberts looks unlikely to get regular game-time under Jesse Marsch in the Premier League next season, which will put him at a disadvantage as he tries to edge past a number of players in his position vying for a spot in Rob Page’s Wales World Cup squad later this year.
However, Roberts’ lofty wages at the Premier League club will prove a massive stumbling block for Cardiff.
Meanwhile, Dundee United are keen to seal a permanent move for Cardiff-linked Dylan Levitt, according to the Sun on Sunday.
The Wales midfielder, 21, looks unlikely to break into Manchester United’s first team and is poised to seal a move away from Old Trafford this summer.
And Dundee United, for whom he played on loan last season, appear to be keen on signing him permanently for a fee in the region of £300,000.
Cardiff fans’ favourite Sol Bamba is wanted by League Two outfit Swindon Town.
Bamba is a free agent after leaving Middlesbrough at the end of last season, with a number of clubs having registered an interest in his services in recent months.
Blackpool, Charlton Athletic and Preston North End have all sounded out the ex-Ivory Coast international.
However, Swindon have tabled what is thought to be a very solid offer to the 37-year-old, which includes a role as a player-coach. That will appeal to Bamba given his well-documented desire to move to the dugout once his playing career ends.
But it’s by no means a foregone conclusion just yet, with Bamba understood to have at least one other offer on the table which he is seriously considering.
Ex-Cardiff winger Nathaniel Mendez-Laing has signed a two-year deal with Derby County.
He is a free agent after turning down a new contract at Sheffield Wednesday, but has made a return to League One with the Rams following their takeover by David Clowes.
The 30-year-old made 85 appearances for Cardiff, netting 13 goals, before departing the Welsh capital in September 2020.
“It ticks all the right boxes for me,” he said. “It’s the first time I’ve seen the training ground and it’s probably the best training ground I’ve been to. The facilities are unreal.
“It’s a massive club and it shouldn’t be where it is but we are here and I’m excited to be part of the project.
“Hopefully we can build on it and get the club back to where it needs to be.
“It’s a great place to be and I just want to get going now.
“I’ve seen players go back to preseason training and I’ve been doing my own thing, but I just want to get going now and I can’t wait for the season ahead.”