During the summer transfer window, the Bluebirds approved the signing of eight players, although many others—including Ebou Adams, Ryan Wintle, and Mark McGuinness—went elsewhere.
Although there isn’t as much deadwood in Cardiff’s current team as there was in years past, several players might still be better off looking for new opportunities after the new year.
Having said that, Football League World examines five players who may depart Cardiff in January.
Scottish midfielder David Turnbull has caused controversy amongst fans ever since he left Celtic for £2 million on the last day of the 2024 winter transfer window.
Turnbull is a midfield player with a solid pedigree north of the line, so the acquisition seemed fascinating at the time. During his four years with Celtic, Turnbull played in 100 league games, participated in the UEFA Champions League, scored 31 goals in all competitions, and won four domestic cups in addition to the Scottish Premiership twice.
Turnbull, however, only played 866 minutes of football in the second half of the 2023–24 Championship season, and it was evident that he didn’t mesh well with Erol Bulut, who was fired shortly after.
Even if Cardiff hasn’t named a Bulut replacement yet, it is hard to imagine exactly where the Scotsman fits into this team. Turnbull is a natural offensive midfielder, but Cardiff has Rubin Colwill filling that role, and it will take some time to push the elusive local talent.
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The Bluebirds have a better flow and dynamic when Colwill is on the pitch, it really is that simple. Alex Robertson, meanwhile, is a fantastic addition for Cardiff and plays in a deeper central midfield position.
Robertson, who joined from Manchester City in the summer, is a player with a bright future who exudes grace, elegance, composure, and calmness when in the game. He can play with a half-turn and frequently appears to be two steps ahead of his opponents. One of the main reasons for Bulut’s demise among supporters was that he seldom gave preference to the former Pompey loan star.
Regretfully, there are still uncertainties regarding Turnbull’s ability to apply his skill set in the Championship. Though he is frequently found wanting off the ball, the 25-year-old obviously has class on it. Colwill should definitely be among the first names on the team sheet farther ahead, but he lacks the athleticism to hustle and harass opponents in the middle of the park like Robertson can.
Paul Trollope
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Turnbull’s transition to the physically taxing Championship has not been an easy one, since he played a lot of football with the ball in front of him for a team that consistently wins a league.
Due to injury, he was out for the all of the new season; nonetheless, he has been used sparingly when healthy and is currently ranked behind two of Cardiff’s best players.
Although Turnbull’s desire to be a minor player in the Championship may be understood, Cardiff may wish to hold out for a little while longer in the hopes that their investment will pay off. In the event that nothing improves, it could be best for everyone if they split up.
What exactly Ryotaro Tsunoda’s immediate future holds is unknown.
The center defender was acquired by Cardiff in January from Yokohoma F. Marinos. He was then loaned to KV Kortrijk, a sister club, where he made nine standout appearances in the Belgian top division before sustaining a significant hamstring injury in March during a 1-0 victory over Anderlecht.
Tsunoda was obliged to have an operation on the injury and he is yet to play since, although he should be back healthy shortly.
But Cardiff added three center defenders in the summer transfer window: Perry Ng, who can also play across, Callum Chambers, Jesper Daland, and Will Fish. This poses a serious problem for Tsunoda, who is undoubtedly lower on the hierarchy than both Dimitrios Goutas and all of those.
The left-footed Japanese defender impressed many with his calm ball-playing abilities at Kortrijk, and many fans have wished to see him given more chances in the Championship.
However, if he returns to full fitness in January, then going on loan would undoubtedly be the best immediate step forward for his progress.
Despite recruiting players likenwar AEl Ghazi and Chris Willock, it was surprising that Cardiff decided to maintain Cian Ashford in the summer. Ashford is another player who may very likely complete a January loan move.
Ashford is a gifted player who demonstrated this in the conclusion of 23/24. He scored his first goal as a professional in a thrilling 2-1 victory over Southampton last season.
He won’t be playing for the first team this season, though, so if he were to go on loan in January, everyone would probably benefit.
The left-sided winger really has too much potential and promise to sit on the bench for the entire season, and if that were to happen, supporters would probably be extremely irritated.
You would believe that League One is the level, and if Cardiff stays on the fringes, then they need to do something about it.
In general, Michael Reindorf and Ashford are similar, although there have been more demands made for him to be granted first-team opportunities.
When Cardiff recruited the 19-year-old from Norwich City’s academy in the summer, he was a mystery player, but that did not last long. Since arriving, Reindorf has scored goals at will for Cardiff’s U21 team. In August, he made his professional debut against Bristol Rovers in the EFL Cup, putting on a spectacular show.
Reindorf is a hard-working and determined player while out of possession. He possesses the agility and willingness to take the lead in press coverage, and he combines this with incredible talent, bravery, and confidence when handling the ball.
It is disheartening for supporters that despite his apparent potential, he has not yet been assigned any games in the Championship.
Many fans would contend that Reindorf is more than capable of having a significant influence at the second-tier level, but he must go out and gain experience on loan if Cardiff is unwilling to give him the opportunity to play regularly.