Cardiff City are set to sign goalkeeper Ethan Horvath from relegation-threatened Premier League side Nottingham Forest according to reports.
Erol Bulut has four goalkeepers currently in his senior squad, with Jak Alnwick, Runar Alex Runarsson and Rohan Luthra all making senior squad starts this season. Youth keeper Matthew Turner has also featured in the matchday squad of the Bluebirds four times across the season.
According to the Daily Telegraph’s Mike McGrath, the 28-year-old is set to move to the Welsh capital on loan for the remainder of the season and is set to have his medical in the coming hours. The Forest Reserve keeper has struggled for minutes with fellow American international Matt Turner and Odisseas Vlachodimos at the City Ground.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are exploring a deal to bring in Strasbourg keeper Matz Sels or former West Bromwich Albion man Sam Johnstone to the club on deadline day as reported by Sky Sports News, with Horvath’s impending departure clearing the space for a new recruit for the Premier League club.
The impending deal will also have a knock-on impact on the Cardiff squad, as McGrath has also reported that Runarsson is set to return to his parent club Arsenal. The Icelandic international started eight matches this season, conceding fourteen goals and recording a solitary clean sheet against Millwall.
Horvath has a promotion from the second division under his belt as the starting keeper for Luton Town last season and played the full play-off final victory over Coventry City. The victory at Wembley was the last club appearance the keeper made, playing only once in a friendly appearance for the USMNT against Oman this season.
Cardiff are fixed firmly in the midtable of the Championship this season, sitting in 14th place ahead of their weekend fixture against Watford. The Bluebirds are currently eight points above the drop zone, currently occupied by Queens Park Rangers.
Writer’s View
Horvath has once again struggled for playing time since returning to Forest last summer, and has failed to record a single minute for The Garibaldi this campaign. A move to the Championship with Cardiff City will help the keeper regain confidence and match fitness, whilst offering Erol Bulut some healthy competition for the first-team spot with Jak Alnwick. As a keeper who has proven himself at that level before, Horvath should thrive upon his return to the EFL.
It is also a move that could benefit the US National Team. All of their contenders for their first-choice goalkeeper are struggling for minutes at their respective clubs, and ahead of hosting the World Cup in 2026, Gregg Berhalter will be looking for a keeper who is regularly playing between the sticks. Should his spell in Wales go well, Ethan Horvath could put himself as an early contender to start The Stars and Stripes’ opening game.
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