Reaching the Championship playoffs may be merely a pipe dream for Cardiff City but the Welsh outfit are now looking ahead to the summer transfer window to bolster their first-team squad.
Erol Bulut’s men were finally hitting their stride and managed to put four wins together in England’s second tier. However, the side suffered a devastating derby defeat to bitter rivals Swansea City prior to the international break and are now eight points behind the final play-off spot.
Cardiff also have some difficult fixtures on the horizon against the likes of Sunderland, Coventry City, Hull City and Southampton, making it extremely difficult for the Bluebirds to claw back those eight points on Norwich City, having lost twice to the Canaries this term.
According to Opta’s latest projections, Cardiff City now only have a 0.3% chance of finishing inside the final play-off place. Before the defeat at home to Swansea, the club’s chances were 4.7%, showing how brutal that derby loss really was to the side’s hopes of returning to the Premier League.
Nevertheless, attention has now turned to the summer market at the Cardiff City Stadium. According to a report from the Daily Record, the Bluebirds are interested in signing Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Marc Leonard over the coming months.
The outlet are also claiming that Swansea are keeping tabs on the Scot’s progress whilst on loan at Northampton Town in League One. Furthermore, Portsmouth, Derby County, Preston North End and Plymouth Argyle have been watching the player closely during his time at Sixfields.
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The 21-year-old has had a tremendous season so far, scoring five goals and registering six assists in 35 matches. As a result, the midfielder’s market value has increased to £390,000, as per Transfermarkt.
Writer’s View
Leonard is a hot prospect in English football right now, hence why a number of clubs from the Championship and League One are set to battle it out for his signature once the summer transfer window opens up.
However, the Brighton academy product signed a new deal with the Seagulls before heading out on loan before the start of this campaign, meaning his parent club are likely to sell to the highest bidder. Cardiff City should certainly be able to outbid some of the teams in the running.
