“Would be a coup” – Cardiff City eye reunion with Premier League player: The verdict
FLW’s verdict on Cardiff City’s ambitious plan to pursue Bournemouth deal
Cardiff City are considering a loan move to bring striker Kieffer Moore back to the club.
Moore’s return would solve Cardiff’s goalscoring issues and provide valuable Championship experience.
Moore’s ability to play direct and on the ground makes him an appealing option for Cardiff, and his goalscoring record in the Championship is impressive.
This article is part of Football League World’s ‘The Verdict‘ series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Cardiff City are weighing up an ambitious move for Bournemouth striker Kieffer Moore
According to Wales Online, the Bluebirds are considering a loan move to bring the forward back to the club.
Moore played for Cardiff for 18 months before departing for the Cherries in the 2022 January transfer window.
Moore scored 25 league goals for the club during his time in the Welsh capital before making the switch to Bournemouth in order to aid their promotion bid.
Would Kieffer Moore be a good signing for Cardiff City?
A transfer embargo has been placed on Cardiff, which means they can only complete loan moves and sign free agents.
But Bournemouth are hoping to hold out for a permanent deal for the 30-year-old, with Andoni Iraola currently having no plans for the player in his first team squad for next season.
Here we ask our FLW writers their verdict on whether Moore would be a good signing for Erol Bulut’s side…
Declan Harte
This is certainly an ambitious move, all things considered.
But it could be just what’s needed to help Cardiff’s chances of being competitive next season.
The club has struggled to replace Moore’s goals since he departed for Bournemouth 18 months ago.
Bringing him back into the fold would solve a lot of issues the team has, with no obvious consistent goal scorer currently in the squad.
While he was unable to really make much of an impact in the Premier League, Moore is still a proven Championship calibre player.
He has now earned the experience of gaining promotion to the top flight, which makes him an even more invaluable asset to have in the dressing room.
If Bulut can help him get back to his best, then this would be a real coup for Cardiff.
Given the transfer restrictions that have been placed on them this summer, this would be about as good a deal as they can reasonably agree to.
If they can convince Bournemouth to accept a loan, and if Moore is willing to drop down to the Championship again, then there’s every reason for Cardiff to pursue this move.
Alfie Burns
Moore can probably count himself as a little bit unlucky at Bournemouth. He was behind Dominic Solanke in the pecking order, but still scored four goals in 27 appearances in the Premier League last season, proving his worth within the club surviving.
Andoni Iraola’s style of play has probably pushed him towards the door, with the ex-Rayo Vallecano head coach keen on possession-based football and high-energy against the ball. It’s not really Moore’s game, with the Wales international keen to use his physicality.
That being said, he’s also got good quality when the ball is on the floor. Under Scott Parker and Gary O’Neil, Bournemouth were hardly a route one side and, although that’s where Moore’s strength is, it’s unfair to label him a one-trick pony. He can do far more.
From Cardiff’s point of view that is probably something that will appeal to them this summer. Moore gives them that option to be direct under Bulut but also play through him on the deck.
And, perhaps the thing that will really attract Cardiff’s interest again is his Championship record. He struck 20 goals for the Bluebirds in 2020/21, five the following season, and then moved to Bournemouth to notch four goals in four games and help them win promotion. All that was on the back of 10 goals in 36 games for Wigan Athletic in 2019/20.
Moore scores goals in the Championship and is seemingly on the market on the back of a semi-decent Premier League campaign. His signing would be a coup for Cardiff.
