WARNOCK’S IN THE MARKET FOR NEW RECRUITS... HOW ABOUT THESE THREE FOR STARTERS?
BLUEBIRDS COLUMNIST SCOTT JOHNSON
CARDIFF signed off for the summer with an unlikely, but thoroughly deserved victory at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Maybe they wouldn’t have produced such a thrilling, carefree performance had they still had something riding on the game, but it was great to see, even if it was essentially too little, too late.
The line-up Cardiff fielded, with the sidelined Joe Ralls hypothetically stepping in for the outgoing Aron Gunnarsson, was probably their best possible side at present and would probably represent an upgrade on the side that got Cardiff promoted last season.
With Gunnarsson, Victor Camarasa and Harry Arter all shipping out, reinforcements are required and Neil Warnock has already talked about adding three players in the summer.
With that in mind, here are three players that I think would make Cardiff a force to be reckoned with next term.
ETHAN AMPADU
With the ongoing Emiliano Sala situation, chances are that Cardiff’s hands may be tied to some extent and they may not be as freespending as some may hope. At the best of times, it is vitally important to get your loan signings right and even more so for Cardiff under these circumstances.
Derby have demonstrated this season how the right temporary signings can elevate you above your peers, with Liverpool’s Welsh international Harry Wilson and Chelsea prospect Mason Mount driving The Rams into the play-offs. Ethan Ampadu is the real deal and would be the ideal replacement for Gunnarsson.
Plenty are talking up Rotherham’s Will Vaulks, but two Welsh games aside, I have not seen enough of him to know whether or not he is of the required calibre, but Ampadu is clearly a superstar in waiting.
Chelsea have been reluctant to loan him out to date and the transfer ban imposed on them may complicate matters, but he remains some way down the pecking order there and he will presumably leave, like Mount, to aid his development.
The 18-year-old has only made six starts for Chelsea all season and Warnock has talked him up in the past.
Cardiff may no longer be a top-flight option, but the Championship has helped mould many a career, as Wilson and Mount can attest. Ampadu would be a crowd-pleasing signing and a problem solved in one fell swoop.
ANDRE GRAY
Cardiff’s chronic lack of firepower was a major contributing factor to their relegation from the top flight.
Fortunately, if they are seeking to address that, there are a wealth of suitable candidates to fill the position. Neal Maupay, Dwight Gayle, Oli McBurnie and Che Adams may all be available, at a premium, and all topped 20 goals this season. My choice though would be a player that plundered 25 goals at that level for Burnley a few years back.
Andre Gray was Watford’s record £18m signing a couple of years back, but it has not exactly gone to plan for him there.
Second fiddle to former Cardiff target Troy Deeney, Gray has 14 goals in 33 starts over the last couple of seasons and plays only occasionally. He was recently linked with a loan move to Rangers for next season and if he is available, Cardiff should certainly be interested.
Gray, now 27, agreed a five-year deal, so has plenty of time remaining on his existing deal, but Watford are likely to reinforce over the summer and he may find playing time even harder to come by next season.
An aggressive, relentless, quick striker, he would be a great fit for the way Cardiff play and is well versed in the Championship. He may not seem as attractive an option as his trendier, free-scoring rivals, but Gray may be a better bet and a better player.
NICK POWELL
You rarely get the chance to sign players of Nick Powell’s calibre as a free agent, but his Wigan contract will soon expire and he is sure to be very much in demand.
The 25-year-old was once one of the hottest prospects in the British game, scoring a remarkable goal for Crewe in the 2012 play-off final at the tender age of 18.
It was enough to tempt Sir Alex Ferguson in to parting with £6m for him, but he never made a mark at Manchester United.
Having spent time on loan at Wigan, Leicester and Hull, he signed permanently for The Latics at the end of his contract in 2016.
He starred for them last season, inspiring a return to the Championship and making the League One Team of the Year in the process. This year, he played an integral part in them retaining their second tier status.
Again, Rangers are interested and fierce rivals Celtic too. A central midfielder that can play off the striker, in the mould of Camarasa,
Powell was in the frame when Cardiff instead opted for Lee Tomlin. Having recorded eight goals and six assists this season, Powell could finally fill the creative void left by the departure of Peter Whittingham.