Cardiff City were relegated down to League One in a somewhat unexpected collapse last season. The clear standout in the goalscoring charts, Callum Robinson, has been linked with a move away from the Bluebirds.
The former Preston North End fan favourite finished his latest Championship campaign on 12 goals – in a poor Cardiff outfit. Consequently, attention has been directed towards the Republic of Ireland international, who now has the Lancashire side and Wrexham hoping for his addition. North End could be looking to reunite with the 30-year-old in a sentimental move.
For the Bluebirds last season, Robinson was the standout attacker in an underwhelming Cardiff team. Despite only appearing in 34 league fixtures and seeing his form dwindle in the latter stages of the campaign, the former Sheffield United striker earned club top scorer, with Yousef Salech finishing on eight. The 23-year-old scored three in his last three matches and could now be an even more important asset if Robinson departs.
Robinson is well-travelled in the English leagues and has enjoyed stints as low as the third tier, but also as high as the Premier League. Most notably, a five-goal top-flight campaign with West Bromwich Albion saw the 30-year-old shine in a memorable 5-2 victory against Chelsea; the Irishman and Matheus Pereira both scored a brace.
After 83 appearances with Cardiff, Robinson could be looking to pastures new (or old), with interest from recently promoted and ambitious Wrexham as well as his former club PNE. Having made three separate loan spells with the Lancashire side, followed by 117 matches as a permanent signing, the Irish striker would be no stranger to Paul Heckingbottom’s renovated side.
Writer’s View
Not only would this be a sentimental return for Preston, they would regain a player who left them for a club record fee of £8 million in 2019, to Sheffield United. With the departures of Emil Riis and Layton Stewart, and the reported interest in Will Keane, this would be a smart pick-up.
Cardiff would be losing a lot of goals, which could be replaced well by Salech, but the lack of depth in the attacking ranks at present could struggle to match that of Huddersfield Town, Plymouth Argyle and Luton Town, who are all serious contenders for promotion next season.
With Yakou Méïté also leaving the club upon the end of his contract, the Bluebirds are only left with Salech as an out-and-out number nine. Luckily, versatile players like Cian Ashford and Isaak Davies can fill in those attacking areas, but there are various question marks still surrounding those inclusions. The latter has been earmarked by Wrexham too.
