Cardiff City squad to be cut for League One as summer transfer plans revealed

Wales Online

15-05-2025

Cardiff City squad to be cut for League One as summer transfer plans revealed
Cardiff City chairman Mehmet Dalman has spoken about what the transfer window will look like for the club after dropping into League One
Mehmet Dalman, Chairman of Cardiff City
(Image: Getty Images )
Cardiff City's squad will be cut down considerably ahead of the League One campaign but chairman Mehmet Dalman has been reassured by key players they want to stay and fight for promotion next season.
The Bluebirds are preparing for their first summer transfer window in the third tier for more than two decades and the importance of it is not lost on anyone. If Cardiff are to bounce straight back up to the Championship, they have to get this window right.
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Of course, they need a new manager in before any transfer activity gets right up to full tilt, but Dalman believes the squad is too bloated as it stands.
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'We have 33 players on our books and that's quite a lot. I think that needs to be cut back to more like 25 or 26," Dalman said.
"Out of the eight who are out of contract, we would probably lose six, maybe five. There may be a couple that we still want to have conversations with. That will bring us to a sensible number. We probably need to add three or four players into the team."
Cardiff have eight players whose contracts will expire this summer and the vast majority of those are expected to leave. Join the Cardiff City breaking news and top stories WhatsApp community
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Club captain Joe Ralls is one of those who sees his deal end next month, with the midfielder just one game short of triggering a year's extension last season. It is a mark of the man that, even knowing he wouldn't reach the requisite number of games, he still played the final two matches half-injured in a bid to help the club stay up.
Were Cardiff still in the Championship, it might have been a more difficult conversation. However, in League One, there seems to be an agreement that Ralls could play a big part both on and off the pitch.
Another player the Bluebirds are likely to hold talks with over remaining with the club is Andy Rinomhota. The former Reading man enjoyed his best season in a City shirt and claimed the players' player of the season gong at the end-of-season awards. Sources at the club have indicated that, in an ideal world, he would be tied down to a new deal.
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The other question mark sits above the head of Aaron Ramsey. His current deal is up next month, too, and it's as yet uncertain as to whether the extra year option will be triggered. At this stage it does seem difficult to fathom that the Wales captain will play in League One next season, unless some hybrid role incorporating off-pitch duties in some capacity appeals to him.
'Aaron is a wonderful chap," Dalman said of the 34-year-old. "I got to know him quite well over the last couple of years and we will sit down with Aaron and have a chat.
"Aaron is through and through Cardiff and, whatever we discuss, it'll be good for Cardiff and it'll be good for Aaron.'
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For many clubs, dropping down into League One means having to sell-off some of your best assets in order to drum up funds. However, Dalman insists that isn't the case with Cardiff.
In fact, the chairman said that conversations with the core members of the squad have been really positive and he expects the vast majority to stick around beyond this summer.
'That's not in our plans," he said of having to sell players. "We will sell players if somebody comes up with an attractive offer. We would consider it, but that's true of every season at any given time. That is nothing to do with our circumstances.
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"We are very determined to keep the core of the team together, and the feedback we are getting from the core of the team is to stay together.
"I'm sure there'll be a few who will not fancy staying in League One. We will respect that, although we will expect them to respect their contracts as well.'
In terms of a recruitment strategy, Dalman admits there might be need to bring in experienced League One players in order to produce a promotion tilt. "I'd like to think we will stay focused on a Championship return but sometimes you may need League One players to get you there," he added. "I think that's a question for the manager."
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There will also be players who some fans feel owe them a season in League One and will be disappointed if they left after going down. Equally, many feel it represents a chance for Cardiff's exciting young cohort to really grab the division by the scruff of the neck and show that they are capable of being too good for League One.
The likes of Isaak Davies, Rubin Colwill, Joel Colwill, Cian Ashford, Joel Bagan, Eli King, Ronan Kpakio, Dylan Lawlor, Luey Giles, Tanatswa Nyakuhwa, Troy Perrett and other academy products will be champing at the bit for a shot at League One and regular game time.
Many of them have shown flashes of what they can do, but a sustained run, full of confidence, in League One could do these players wonders. Indeed, Dalman said that any prospective manager's plans on how to incorporate these youngsters will form an integral part of the interview process to find Omer Riza's permanent successor.
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"We've got some of the brightest, most promising youngsters coming through the academy," Dalman added.
"The new manager, that will play a key role in the interview process, how they're going to use experienced players with this new generation of talented young boys. And we will take it from there.' Sign up to our daily Cardiff City newsletter here.