Greek giants eyeing swoop for Bluebirds manager Bulut

GREEK giants Panathinaikos are the latest team to be linked with a move for Cardiff City manager Erol Bulut.

The Bluebirds boss saw his team hammered 5-2 by Rotherham on Saturday in the final game of the season.

Cardiff owner Vincent Tan has agreed for negotiations to begin over a new contract for Bulut. However, an agreement is still some way off. Bulut wants assurances over not only the transfer budget, but the length of his contract and the ability to bolster both his coaching staff and the recruitment department within the club.

Bulut was named in Turkish media as a potential candidate for the Besiktas job after they decided to part ways with ex-Portugal boss Fernando Santos.

Bulut refused to be drawn on those links.However, Turkish sports newspaper Fotospor now claims Panathinaikos could move for Bulut this summer.

Reports in Greece – and elsewhere – suggest current boss Fatih Terim will leave his position and fellow Turk Bulut could fit the bill as his replacement.

Fotospor reports that a meeting has already been held with Panathinaikos president Giannis

Alafouzos and Bulut’s camp over a potential deal.

The 49-year-old Cardiff boss is thought to be an attractive prospect for Panathinaikos because of his experience in Greek football with Panionios, Olympiacos, Olympiacos Volos, OFI Crete and Veria as a player.

Bulut’s No. 2 Nikolaos Karydas is Greek, while his goalkeeping coach Mario Galinovic played for

Panathinaikos between 2004 and 2011, making more than 100 appearances for the club.

Galinovic was also the club’s goalkeeper between 2015 and 2017.

Bulut, however, has said more than once that he is happy in the Welsh capital and has overseen a dramatic rise in results this season, which saw Cardiff finish 12th in the Championship – a nine-place improvement on last season.