An outstanding 22-year-old ace has been formally signed by Cardiff City’s manager, and the choice was made before the new year.

The 4 Cardiff City players who are leaving on a free next summer

FLW details the Cardiff City players that are currently approaching the end of their contracts

Cardiff City has made several strong summer signings, including Karlan Grant, Josh Bowler, and Aaron Ramsey. The team has been proactive in renewing contracts for key players and preventing contract expiries.lls Joe Rais likely to receive a new contract, Jamilu Collins could also be offered a new contract, but Kieron Evans and Romaine Sawyers are likely to leave the club.

Cardiff City have been putting pen to paper from all angles as of late.

They showcased a revitalised sense of ambition by making a commendable nine summer signings, including impressive captures such as Karlan Grant and Josh Bowler alongside the awe-consuming homecoming of Welsh great Aaron Ramsey.

They’ve also been busy when it comes to keeping players on, and have acted quickly to combat a number of contract expiries that would’ve come into play next summer.

Recently, they’ve tied down first-team stars such as Perry Ng, Ryan Wintle, Jak Alnwick and exciting prospect Ollie Tanner, whereas renewing Rubin Colwill’s deal with less than a year to run feels a smart move for the long-term too, even if the current predicament pertaining to his playing time in the absence of Ramsey is curious to say the least.

Away from that, Cardiff still have some players on the books who, as things stand, will become free agents come the end of the current campaign.

Some instances may naturally be subject to change, but the writing appears on the wall with others – let’s delve in…

Joe Ralls

This is one the situations that’ll most likely change.

The 29-year-old is a modern day Bluebirds legend and has spent his entire career to date in the Welsh capital, where he’s been a regular for the most part too.

He’s been an ever-present under Erol Bulut and is one of his side’s most consistent operators when fully fit, so it seems inevitable that fresh terms will be put on the table to prevent his two-year contract from running down.

2Jamilu Collins

It’s slightly more up for debate with Collins, but nonetheless, it’d still be something of a surprise if Cardiff decided to let him go for absolutely nothing next summer.

Of course, he’s had his progress for City hampered with an ACL injury that kept him sidelined for virtually the entirety of the previous season after initially impressing upon his arrival from Paderborn.

But that said, following a shaky start this term, he’s now getting back up to speed and is very much Cardiff’s first-choice left-back, particularly with Callum O’Dowda injured for quite some time.

It’ll all depend on how he performs for the remainder of the season, although it does seem likely that he’ll get a new contract.

3Kieron Evans

It may just be time for the 21-year-old winger to seek pastures new.

He’s a talent, there’s no doubting that – his quick feet, direct running and low centre of gravity caught the eye during pre-season and left Bulut impressed.

However, the Bluebirds boss faced a straight shootout in terms of who to elect into his first-team between Evans and the aforementioned Tanner, and the ex-Torquay United loanee has seldom had a sniff since.

Supporters will want him to come good at the Cardiff City Stadium after years of promise and he possesses all the technical tools to do just that, but he’s not in the plans and a parting of ways could be in the best interests of both parties at this stage.

4Romaine Sawyers

It’s a dead-cert that Sawyers will leave the club next summer, two years on from his well-received arrival.

Sawyers arrived to plenty of excitement given his credentials at Championship level, but various mitigating factors have prevented him from delivering and he’s now on the periphery under Bulut.

Indeed, Bulut himself revealed that the midfielder was on the transfer list in the dying embers of the summer window, but the club were ultimately unable to find a fresh suitor for his services.

That’s rather indicative of how far his stock has fallen since bossing second-tier midfields with Brentford and West Bromwich Albion.

A good professional, Sawyers remained involved during the club’s EFL Cup campaign and even led them out against Blackburn Rovers, but he’s been virtually exiled from league action and he’ll surely leave before long, whether that’s in January or in the summer.