Mick’s facing plenty of decisions over the summer
THE summer is shaping up to be a fairly busy one for Cardiff City and Mick McCarthy, who will already be looking ahead to shaping his squad capable of staking a claim for the Championship’s top six next season.
Cardiff have already been linked with a number of players ahead of the summer transfer window, but there is likely to be movement the other way too, with the Yorkshireman seemingly set to ponder some big decisions that could well define next term’s campaign.
Here’s a quick round-up of where everything stands as the season heads into the final couple of weeks.
THE DEPARTURES
There are some players who McCarthy has seemingly already made a decision on.
The Cardiff boss has already confirmed that Robert Glatzel will be put up for sale this summer, but there are questions marks hanging over several other players too.
Winger Gavin Whyte, who certainly divides opinion among many Cardiff fans, is one player whose future remains up in the air, amid his season-long loan at League One promotion winners Hull City.
McCarthy has clearly not ruled out the possibility of the Northern Ireland international joining the Tigers on a permanent basis this summer, but it seems nothing is off the table yet regarding his future.
Given that he doesn’t appear to really fit McCarthy’s system, it’s easy to see why he might be moved on, but perhaps he may yet view the wideman as a useful option.
Then there’s Lee Tomlin, who nearly a year on after being named the club’s Player of the Season, appears to find himself out of favour under McCarthy.
Of course, he’s spent much of McCarthy’s reign working his way back from a groin injury, but after a series of appearances for the under-23s, he has shown little sign of breaking into the first-team set-up again.
Given the magic he can conjure up in the middle of the park, moving Tomlin on would surely not be a decision to be taken lightly, and may not go down too well with some supporters.
Nevertheless, it’s a move McCarthy may well feel is for the best.
Tomlin’s future isn’t the only big question when it comes to McCarthy’s options in the final third.
Despite only joining in January, Max Watters has similarly struggled to make his mark on the first-team set-up. Mark Harris, who’s shown promising glimpses of his potential at times this season, is a very similar option, and it’s difficult to see how both players get kept on.
Finally, and this is something of a nightmare scenario, but what of Kieffer Moore?
The Wales international is the best striker Cardiff have had in years, and given his exploits for club and country in front of goal, it wouldn’t exactly be a surprise if he had gained himself a few admirers higher up the footballing food chain.
His age may well put off a few potential suitors – he turns 29 later this year - but his record nevertheless speaks for itself.
Cardiff would, of course, be in a good position, and would be able to demand top dollar for what is now their most valuable asset.
Their exact valuation of the player isn’t clear at this stage, but there
would surely at least be a discussion over how to proceed if a megamoney offer was to come in.
CONTRACTS
A number of Cardiff stars are out of contract this summer, and there are clearly some big calls to be made.
McCarthy recently offered an update on full-back Joe Bennett, who remains sidelined with an ACL injury, and there appears to be an enthusiasm to get a new deal sorted.
“I think he will be fit come October,” he said when asked about the full-back’s situation.
“So, there is a discussion to be had with him and his agent in terms of what he wants to do and what the club wants to do.”
Despite talks opening over a new deal under Neil Harris, it seems Junior Hoilett is unlikely to receive a new contract, while Joe Day is also set to be released when he returns from his loan spell at Bristol Rovers.
Jonny Williams is certainly a player
McCarthy likes and, should Tomlin join Harry Wilson in heading out the door, there could well be a case for extending his short-term deal.
Meanwhile, Sol Bamba is also out of contract this summer, and has already said he’d like to play for at least one more year before retiring.
INCOMINGS
It’s not exactly a secret that Cardiff are on the hunt for heightening their firepower this summer.
A number of strikers have been linked, with Liam Delap and Charlie Wyke among the latest.
Jonson Clarke-Harris is another name to be mentioned, but will likely come with a substantial price tag given his goalscoring exploits in League One.
That said, if Cardiff manage to free up the funds needed either through the sale of Glatzel (or dare it be suggested, Moore), there’s no question that the Peterborough ace would fit the mould.
As mentioned, the possible departure of Tomlin and Wilson means a playmaker could also be high on the list, while Sheyi Ojo’s return to Liverpool means McCarthy may well also be in the market for a winger.
One man who can play both those roles is Carlos Mendes Gomes at Morecambe, who’s also reportedly attracted interest from Swansea City, as well as several others, having netted 15 goals in League Two.
Sheffield Wednesday’s Josh Windass has been linked again and, given his impressive track record in the second tier, may well appeal to the Bluebirds, who could potentially snap him up for a cut price should the Owls go down.
Wednesday team-mates Adam Reach and Jordan Rhodes are two others to have been tipped for a move, with both players out of contract this summer.