It’s shaping up well for Bluebirds... and maybe a little Max factor could be icing on the cake?

CARDIFF City’s transfer strategy has been cogent and rapidly implemented this summer.

Targets were lined up months ago and the deals have been executed largely without a hitch. Not many permanent signings have slipped through the net in recent months and that is undoubtedly cause for praise.

For the most part, Cardiff’s squad has a far better balance about in, both in terms of age and positional strength. There are three senior goalkeepers all vying for one spot, four genuine wing-backs and, when Cedric Kipre joins, there will also be five centre-backs from which to choose, too.

Midfield is now bursting with options, with Ryan Wintle, Eli King, Joe Ralls, Andy Rinomhota, Ebou Adams, Romaine Sawyers and Tom Sang all keen for a piece of the pie. Further forward there is Rubin Colwill, Isaak Davies, Mark Harris, Max Watters, Callum O’Dowda, Sheyi Ojo, Ollie Tanner and, as things stand, Gavin Whyte.

There are no standouts, so to speak. Rinomhota and Sawyers are probably two who supporters are really excited about, while there is a mumbled buzz around Tanner’s potential after his bright pre-season displays, albeit against lower league opposition.

Cardiff’s relative strength in depth is a real plus-point heading into this upcoming campaign, even more so now there are five substitutions allowed in the Championship. Having quality and battle-hardened midfielders ready to go from the bench or an exciting, if raw, winger or playmaker to come on and shake things up at the end of games will be extremely advantageous to Steve Morison.

That’s not to say all of these signings will be an instant hit, of course. No one is expecting that, especially given some are untested at this level and might well take time to adjust. But having so many options available means there is so much scope to change things up not only from week to week but mid-match, too.

Many Cardiff fans will likely view the squad in its current guise and believe it to be a mid-table Championship outfit.

Few would disagree with that, at the minute. Sure, the defence will have to tighten up a lot more than last year, but the visibly more aggressive press and more mobile midfield will hopefully play some part in that.

What will make all the difference, though, to their eventual league standing will be the strikers they bring in. Letting James Collins sign for Derby County is something of a gamble without anyone having been brought to reinforce the striker stable just yet. There must be a confidence that a centre-forward signing is close.

Cardiff are opting for a more mobile team this season and it is understood that transfer strategy will continue on to the striker options. That position is so vital in this division and it is one Cardiff have scarcely gotten right over the last decade.

Finding a top striker will make all the difference.

You just look at how Swansea City have gotten it right and how it propels them at least another couple of spots up the table every season, with the likes of Rhian Brewster and Joel Piroe all making a telling difference just in the last few years.

Save the signing of Kieffer Moore, Cardiff have struggled to get the required goals from their centre-forwards and it’s the most intriguing plot of the lot as far as the Bluebirds’ transfer story goes this summer.

Cardiff are looking closely at the loan market and hope they can bring in a Premier League-quality striker for a fraction of the wages. Adding the required talent but not forking out the full dough will be crucial and it is an operation which is whirring loudly behind the scenes at Cardiff City Stadium.

One thing which should give City fans confidence, though, is that any forward will likely have better service this season. There are genuine wing options, both experienced and unproven, and creativity in the form of Sawyers and Rubin Colwill, who is set for a big season this year after coming of age last term.

It is also hoped Max Watters will improve and adjust to the league in the coming 12 months, too, and will provide stern competition for the incoming strikers. Watters will also benefit from the extra substitutions allowed.

It’s all quietly shaping up, though, but it is probably not an understatement to say much of Cardiff’s fortunes this year hinges on the strikers they recruit in the coming weeks and, crucially, the goals they produce throughout the season.

It could even be the difference in taking City from mid-table also-rans to top-six contenders, if they strike the jackpot.