With Roger Johnson gone, more players set to go and 7 new faces promised, paper talk is hotting up. Here's a quick round up of the latest mutterings for what it's worth since newspaper gossip very rarely equals reality.
OUTGOING
Rumours are circulating that left back Tony Capaldi with link with his ex-Plymouth boss Ian Holloway at Blackpool if they can find the package to match his handsome City package. Holloway briefly tried to take him for Leciester City when he was their manager too.
Premiership suitors are playing a waiting game for Joe Ledley, obviously hoping to get him for a last minute cut price deal after City declined £6M bids for him in January and now find they have a player who can leave for nothing out of contract next season. Arsenal, who have watched him many times, are being linked to him but there's a queue including Spurs, Everton, Stoke, West Ham who have expressed interest but have done nothing to date.
Dave Jones is also willing to offload Paul Parry, Miguel Comminges, Warren Feeney (forgot we still had him after his 2 seasons in Scotland but Norwich are rumoured to be in for him) and maybe Peter Whittingham too while they are willing to listen t offersd for Ross McCormack to raise more funds even though he is set to sign an extended deal.
THOSE LINKED TO CITY
An ever lengthening list includes defenders Paul Quinn (Motherwell), Damien Delaney of QPR who we are rumoured to be competing with Ipswich at around £1M package deal (a price that would seem to rule out any move by City) and another QPR man in Latvian defender Kaspar Gorkss. Another paper link is Millwall defender Zak Whitbread.
With two centre halves required, the names mentioned in dispatches to date are ex-City man James Collins (I don't see him dropping out of the Premiership), a loan move for Manchester United's promising Craig Cathcart who spent time last season at Plymouth and Birmingham City's Liam Ridgewell whose place there is in jeorpardy with the arrival of three new centre halves including Roger Johnson of course.
Cardiff City's midfield engine room has misfired and lack goals for a couple of years and, to me, seem an important area of the side to get right. Links so far are uninspriring. Misfit Liam Miller, a player of talent but who throws it away with poor attitude, is linked but if he wasn't afraid of Roy Keane at Sunderland (who threw him out of the club after continally being late), what chance has Dave Jones got with the 27 year old? Others have been mentioned in dispatches, all with unremarkable goal contributions to the cause. Mayeb it's just me but I thought Charlton's Nicky Bailey or Chinese midfielder could do tremendous jobs for us.
Up front, it's hard to remember Michael Chopra becomes a permanent signing next week for £4M from Sunderland. Fans hold their breath he can rediscover his form, fitness and goals which were all missing in his end of last season loan with us. Eddie Johnson has returned, Ross McCormack appears set to stay but another forward is needed regardless yet the only name linked to date, Motherwell's Dave Clarkson, appears to be on his way Bristol City with Cardiff reportedly declining to follow up initial interest as his price tag has increased to circa £750,000.
More of this silliness over the next few days but, hopefully, we will finally see activity in Cardiff's Arrivals Lounge.
No comments:
Post a Comment