No Troy joy, so with Cardiff a striker light, who could they get?

THE transfer window closes in just over a week and Cardiff City remain active in their bid to strengthen ahead of the new Premier League season.

Boss Neil Warnock was understood to be interested in making a move for Watford striker Troy Deeney, who was valued at around £15 million.

That chase now looks to have come to an end, with City now understood to have made a new midfielder their main priority in this window.

However, there is a feeling that despite the arrival of Bobby Reid, Cardiff could still do with another addition up front.

But if Deeney isn’t a goer, then who could the Bluebirds move for?

Here are some suggestions...

Salomon Rondon

CARDIFF were heavily linked with the Venezuelan earlier in the summer, with the bookies even installing City as 4/1 jointfavourites for his signature on the back of reports of a proposed £12.5m approach.

However, those reports died down as the summer wore on, with Newcastle United seemingly stealing a march on any other suitors by opening talks over a move to take him to Tyneside as part of a swap deal with striker Dwight Gayle.

That deal appears to have stalled, with Gayle apparently reluctant to make the move to the Hawthorns, potentially opening the door to other suitors, including Cardiff.

Having netted 10 goals in all competitions for the Baggies last season, there’s certainly a sense that he could produce the goods in the top flight, while his physical stature means he certainly fits the bill for what many would deem a ‘Warnock player’.

However, the big stumbling block could well be the price tag, with the 28-year-old believed to have a release clause of around £16m.

Artem Dzyuba

ONE of the stars for Russia during the World Cup earlier in the summer, reports in his homeland linked Dzyuba with a move to the Welsh capital shortly after the tournament.

Back then, a transfer fee of around £6 million was touted – a much more reasonable price tag for Neil Warnock to consider.

Given his performances on the world stage, it remains to be seen if he would still come at such a comparatively meagre price, although there’s been very little reported interest from elsewhere.

A move to the Premier League is likely to be of interest and, given his physical style, he would surely fit in well within a Warnock team.

However, at the age of 29 he hasn’t yet played any football outside of Russia, meaning many will surely question if he’s suited to the rigours of the Premier League.

Matej Vydra

NEIL Warnock’s long been an admirer of the Czech forward, who picked up the Championship’s Golden Boot last season after scoring 21 goals for Derby County.

That level of form has understandably attracted plenty of attention, and this could well be a good time to bring the 26-year-old on board, although there’s likely to be a fair bit of competition for his signature. Having not really been given a chance to shine in the top flight with Hornets following their promotion three years ago, there’s little doubting that he’d leap at the chance to have a real crack at the Premier League.

Leeds United had an £11m offer accepted recently, only for the move to break down – allegedly due to a failure to agree personal terms.

Wage demands may well prove a stumbling block, but the price tag itself does fit in with previous Cardiff signings.

But with several other Championship clubs allegedly ready to make a move, Cardiff would have to move quickly, while a lack of Premier League pedigree is likely to be a concern for critics.

Charlie Austin

PERHAPS the most unlikely out of the six given the amount of time on his contract and Southampton’s probable reluctance to sell, but the former QPR man would surely be a perfect fit for the Bluebirds as he ticks pretty much every box.

In terms of attributes, he’s arguably very similar to Deeney, but has a far more impressive goalscoring record in the Premier League, netting 32 goals in 81 top flight appearances.

Austin would be a tremendous signing but his current contract situation would surely value him at least £10m - although the actual value could be a lot more than that.

Jay Rodriguez

WEST Brom are understood to be open to selling, but only at the right price.

The striker, who boasts plenty of Premier League experience, again boasts the attributes needed to potentially thrive in a Warnock team, but has another three years to run on his current deal at the Hawthorns.

Burnley were very keen on making a move earlier in the summer, and were also interested in defender Craig Dawson.

However, the Clarets have since had to move on, with the Baggies holding firm on a combined price believed to be around £40m.

Rodriguez, who has 33 Premier League goals to his name in 141 appearances, is understood to have an £18m price tag on his head, which could well prove out of City’s reach, particularly given that there are cheaper possible options.