BREAKING NEWS: Cardiff City seek ‘game-changer’ new signing amid best transfer window he has known as club valuation soars

Cardiff City chairman Mehmet Dalman has addressed a range of Bluebirds issues after a huge summer of change for Wales’ capital city club

Cardiff City will this week step up moves to land at least two new players, including one who the Bluebirds believe can be the ‘game-changer’ for their season.

Wales’ capital city club have already had what chairman Mehmet Dalman believes is the ‘best transfer window’ he has known in a decade at the helm, with the club hierarchy prioritising quality over quantity this summer

However, the need for even greater reinforcements was emphasised by the hugely disappointing and unexpected 2-1 home loss to Queens Park Rangers.

New manager Erol Bulut inherited a squad put together by previous boss Steve Morison that was clearly poorly equipped for Championship football and is having to fast-track through a complete revamp in a bid to get Cardiff pushing higher towards the top end of the table in 2023-24.

The Bluebirds won’t say which positions they are looking to further strengthen. However, bolstering the midfield remains a must, while Bulut is also thought to be eyeing a goalkeeper from a Premier League club.

Cardiff chairman Dalman is keeping the transfer targets a closely guarded secret, but talks have already taken place.

“We’re looking to get possibly another two in, although that doesn’t necessarily mean those deals will be done. We’re still working on them,” said Dalman.

“Actually, I’m genuinely surprised one is not already in the door here, although I don’t necessarily see that as great impediment of it not happening.

But definitely one more. And if we can get the other I feel it could be a game-changer, he’s the one who will make a huge difference.”

Landing that target, it seems, is more complicated and Dalman says ‘I’d prefer not to go into it’, with the odds of Cardiff getting their man thought to be 50-50.

That player is believed to be a midfield kingpin, with Bulut concerned about the way his side were completely over-run in the second half against Leeds and forced onto the backfoot for large chunks of a home game against a QPR side who had been battered 4-0 in their opening match.

Cardiff’s midfield has badly needed a revamp and the arrival of Aaron Ramsey is a huge step in that regard. However, Bulut still wants a dominant figure who can control the engine room during games, take the heat off the defence and and get the ball to mercurial playmaker Ramsey and the forward stars.

Cardiff are also monitoring the Kieffer Moore situation at Bournemouth, although any chance of landing the Wales centre-forward would have to wait until the end of the summer window.

 

Moore came on as a second-half substitute during the Cherries’ 1-1 draw with West Ham, but Cardiff will still be in with a chance of landing him if Bournemouth sign a new striker as back up to first-choice Dominic Solanke.

“We have other forward options. I don’t know,” was Dalman’s response when asked about the prospect of landing Moore.

“Bournemouth definitely don’t want to loan him, they’d prefer to sell. We wouldn’t be able to buy him even if we wanted to. But if in the last week of the window they ask are you still interested, we’ll take a stance then on where we are with the team.”

However, despite the disappointing opening to their home campaign, Cardiff are adamant they are finally back on the right track after a horrendous period which saw them flirting with the prospect of relegation into League One.

Previous boss Morison brought in 17 new players last summer, but only two of them, Jak Alnwick and Callum O’Dowda, started the new season under Bulut at Leeds.

Bulut’s side against QPR contained five of his own six new signings, Ramsey, Josh Bowler, Ike Ugbo, Karlan Grant and Dimitrios Goutas, with Yakou Meite out injured.

 

With Bulut wanting at least two more new players, it shows the Bluebirds are moving in a completely new direction of travel and it will likely take time for another revamped team to gel.

However, Cardiff are confident they have done the right things and the side will soon start to flourish.

“Eight new signings this summer would be a heck of a lot, but we needed it,” said Dalman. “We gave a presentation to Vincent Tan where we spoke about wanting to shift from quantity to quality.

“There are six new players in so far, but in going for the quality the cost base has not gone up tremendously either, because players have left and others will be going as well. We have an absolute determination to balance the books.

“We have also sent talented youngsters out on loan. We want them to get 30-35 games behind them at other clubs and come back better players. Isaak Davies and Joel Bagan, for example, have gone to Belgium for the season. They will return to Cardiff City as better footballers. We see them as important parts of the future of this club.

“What we’ve tried to do on quantity over quality is keep the finances the same. We previously spent a lot of time restructuring the cost base and we need to maintain that. So it does mean we have to get people out as we bring others in.

“But the improvement in quality was essential for the team. Since I’ve been here as chairman this is the best window I’ve been involved in.

“The main difference is that previous managers knew who they wanted position wise, went to agents or the market, to see who was available, and then they would take them or not.

 

“The difference this time is Erol has a certain style of football and asked us who the best talents were to suit that. We went after them. Some we were informed quite quickly were not available. Some were interested.

“Let’s remember that over the last two years this cub has fought against relegation. So it hasn’t been the easiest of pitches this summer. We had to go out to these players and sell a dream – and that’s been the difference.”

The dream for Cardiff is a return to the Premier League at some point, with Bulut very much making that his priority.

Key to the new ambition, of course, has been the stunning capture of Ramsey, who could have earned far more money elsewhere.

Dalman gives a lot of the credit for Ramsey’s signing to fellow Board member Steve Borley, who was also instrumental in previously helping the Bluebirds to audaciously land Craig Bellamy when he was still a key part of the plans of Manchester City and Liverpool.

Borley himself explains how the ball started rolling, saying: “Aaron wasn’t in a good place after the World Cup, he’d had a difficult time with what happened with Wales. He wanted to move home. Same thing years ago with Bellamy. Get me home, we’ll find a way.”

 

Dalman said: “I met Aaron face to face. That enables you to take a view on his real attitude. He didn’t send agents making demands, he did the negotiations himself. We had a cup of coffee, he said I’d love to play for Cardiff. ‘We’d love to have you’, I replied.

“And we made it happen. We had Aaron lined up before Erol even came in, but told him he was coming, asked ‘Are okay with that?’ Erol said let’s meet and they’ve responded well to one another.

“That’s one of the beauties of working with Erol. He’s been like a new lease for this football club, really good, very simple to work with. There is no ambiguity in his decision making. It’s nice to have someone who knows exactly what he wants.

“We’ve restructured the recruitment, have a new head in charge of that who is responsive, able to move very quickly, and that’s why we’ve got a lot done in terms of the quality this summer.”

 

None of the above could happen, of course, without the full backing of Cardiff’s Malaysian owner.

Vincent Tan has just paid £18million out of his own pocket to settle the Emiliano Sala transfer bill with Nantes. Cardiff have had to do that to meet football regulations, but are seeking damages through the court of law, which obviously overrides football, over the way the accident happened.

Dalman says having to come up with such a large sum himself ‘hurt’ Tan, but points out it underlines the owner’s commitment to the club.

“Vincent is absolutely delighted to have Ramsey here. The Ramsey deal couldn’t have happened without Vincent’s support. It’s his chequebook that runs the club,” said Dalman..

 

“His enthusiasm has never wavered. He continues to watch every single game out in Malaysia, regardless of the time difference.

“Over the last two years he became quite depressed at the way results went for us. If we can regalvanise this, I think he’ll be rejuvenated. If we do well enough in the first six games I think he’ll re-energise his interests in the future of the club and the team.”

Cardiff started with a commendable draw away to hot title tips Leeds, where only a last-gasp equaliser prevented Bulut’s men getting off to a flier.

 

The QPR setback was hugely disappointing. They next head to Leicester, another of the promotion tips, before clashes with Sheffield Wednesday, Ipswich and Swansea in those opening six fixtures.

The early away trips could certainly be less daunting, but Bulut is aware Cardiff have to improve home form that has been woeful in recent times.

Tan knows a successful Cardiff on the field of play is the only way he can eventually recoup some of the vast chunks of money he has ploughed into the club over the past 12 years.