BLUEBIRDS LINKED WITH UTD YOUNGSTER
MANCHESTER United and Wales youngster Oliver Denham has been training with Cardiff City ahead of potential move, according to reports.
Bluebirds boss Neil Harris has identified a number of key areas which need addressing before the season starts in order to push his side, who fell just short in the playoff semi-final, one better next term.
City last week announced the capture of Kieffer Moore from Wigan before Harris revealed Cardiff’s other business this summer will likely be through free transfers or loan deals.
However, it is unknown as yet whether a move for 18-year-old Denham would be a loan or a permanent transfer.
The Daily Mail reports that the centre-back, who has represented Wales at youth level despite being born and raised in England, has been with the Bluebirds ahead of pre-season with a view to possibly penning a switch from Old Trafford.
Sean Morrison and Curtis Nelson established themselves as the firstchoice centre-half partnership last season and their relationship blossomed as the campaign went on.
It meant senior defenders Aden Flint, who was bought from Middlesbrough for £4m a year ago, and Sol Bamba were largely consigned to the bench.
With Bamba another year older, and entering the final year of his playing deal, it is thought his role will largely be to play back-up once again, while 31-year-old Flint will likely want regular first-team action, given his wealth of experience and the hefty fee he commanded last summer.
Ciaron Brown, meanwhile, has sealed another loan move back to Livingston, his third stint there, meaning City’s centre-back options are beginning to look a little light.
But Denham, who has been with United since he was very young, can also play at right-back, too, another asset which will be very appealing to Harris.
Given Lee Peltier, Jazz Richards and Cameron Coxe have all left the club in the last six months or so, right-back is an area of priority for the City boss this summer and it might well be that Denham has been earmarked for the right-hand side of defence rather than at the heart of it, should a move materialise.
Harris said Dion Sanderson, who joined on loan from Wolves back in January, will also be part of the discussion when it comes to recruiting a right-back in this window.
But, crucially, the manager has said they will certainly be looking at loaning players from Premier League clubs and both Sanderson and Denham fit the bill.
“With some clubs in the Premier League still finishing games, some of them are still playing in Europe, we’ll be looking at loaning off Premier League clubs,” Harris said after the signing of Welsh star Moore last week.
“The Premier League has not finished that long ago, and, ultimately, our season only finished a couple of weeks ago, so it’s really focused the attention on the transfers at the moment because of the short period between the end of the season and pre-season starting for Cardiff City on Monday.
“Will we be able to get a rightback in by Monday? Hopefully. But we might also have to be patient as well because of the elements I’ve talked about.
“Dion will be involved in those thought processes, as are other players.”