IDEAL WINTER TRANSFER WINDOW
- ccfcinsider
- Jan 1
- 4 min read
It's been a pleasing first half of the season for The Bluebirds, with Brian Barry-Murphy now being tasked with refining his squad to give Cardiff the best chance of sealing promotion in May.
Departures:
Ethan Horvath (£200k)
Horvath returns to the CCS after a mixed spell at Sheffield Wednesday. Having seen how influential Nathan Trott is to the way Cardiff play, it's something that Horvath simply cannot do, as it's not his game. Therefore a move for Horvath seems best fit for both parties with a year and a half left on his City deal.
Jak Alnwick (Free Transfer)
After being absent since the opening day Cardiff should be looking to offload Alnwick's wages, with Brian Barry-Murphy clearly not keen on the 32 year-old. City have better options in that department, and there looks to be no way back for Alnwick in a Cardiff City shirt.
Tanatswa Nyakuhwa (Loan)
Nyakuhwa has largely struggled in his step up from Academy football to First Team football, and after a lot of reported loan interest in January, it would make little to no sense to stop the 20 year-old going out on loan for the remainder of the season. The Nyakuhwa that turns out for the U21's and the First Team is two different players, so hopefully consistent game time could help bridge the gap.
Luey Giles (Loan)
Giles has impressed in his first team appearances so far this season, but the 19 year-old, similarly to Nyakuhwa, is in need of regular first team football. The fullback has shown promise for some time, but now it's about putting things in place to allow Giles to fulfil his potential.
Dakarai Mafico (Loan)
Brian Barry-Murphy has confirmed City will look to loan Dakarai Mafico in January. A good move for him in order to gain valuable experience.
Who does that leave us with?
GK:
Nathan Trott, Matt Turner, Jacob Dennis.
DF:
Gabriel Osho, Will Fish, Dylan Lawlor, Calum Chambers, Perry Ng, Joel Bagan, Ronan Kpakio.
MF:
Ryan Wintle, Omari Kellyman, Rubin Colwill, Joel Colwill, Alex Robertson, David Turnbull, Eli King.
FW:
Callum Robinson, Isaak Davies, Chris Willock, Yousef Salech, Ollie Tanner, Cian Ashford.
What do Cardiff Need
Not a lot...
Depth at Left-back - Cardiff need to add someone in the left-back department to relieve the pressure on Joel Bagan. City's early experiment with Dak Mafico in that role didn't work, therefore City could do with adding someone able to come in and compete with Bagan and step in when required.
Another Winger? - City were reportedly keen on adding a new winger in the summer, but nothing seemed to materialise in that department. January now presents Cardiff with the chance to add another in that department.
Incomings:
Marcell Washington (Loan)
Washington has actually featured against Cardiff this season, and netted for Arsenal's U21's in the Vertu Trophy. Washington stood out for the young Gooners in that one, and could be an ideal signing to push Joel Bagan. Washington is a modern left back who likes to push high, overlap aggressively, and contribute with pace and energy. At 18, it's a move that could prove beneficial for Cardiff, Arsenal and Washington.
Oladapo Afolayan (£950k)
St. Pauli are looking to move on Dapo Afolayan this window, and if Cardiff are looking to seriously upgrade in the wide areas, the 28 year-old is an ideal target. Afolayan has previously featured in League One with Bolton Wanderers, where in his only full season at The Wanderers, he contributed with fourteen goals and four assists. Afolayan has been good since making the move to Germany with St. Pauli, but since their promotion to the Bundesliga has struggled to get a look in, starting just one league game this season. The 28 year-old is a direct, explosive winger who thrives on ball-carrying, taking defenders on one-v-one, and attacking space with pace and confidence. Ambitious but could be the difference for Cardiff.
What does this look like?
GK:
Nathan Trott, Matt Turner, Jacob Dennis.
DF:
Gabriel Osho, Will Fish, Dylan Lawlor, Calum Chambers, Perry Ng, Joel Bagan, Ronan Kpakio, Marcell Washington.
MF:
Ryan Wintle, Omari Kellyman, Rubin Colwill, Joel Colwill, Alex Robertson, David Turnbull, Eli King.
FW:
Callum Robinson, Isaak Davies, Chris Willock, Yousef Salech, Ollie Tanner, Cian Ashford, Oladapo Afolayan.
Summary:
I'd be happy with a quiet window with City adding bits of quality here and there, saying Cardiff 'need' anything feels a bit strong given the quality of the squad for this level.
Similar to the summer, keeping what we have already got is far more important than adding to the squad, New contracts for Joel Bagan, Perry Ng and Ryan Wintle would also be nice touches.
Thank you for reading!
*FYI - This is not what I expect to happen this window, this is simply my opinion.
Comments