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The 13 very big decisions Cardiff City have to make amid manager saga
It’s been a season of ups and downs for Cardiff City so far this season.
The Bluebirds picked up just one point in their opening seven games, making it their worst-ever start to a season in the club’s history, followed by an impressive run of six games unbeaten.
It’s clear to see the turning point in the Bluebirds' season was Erol Bulut's dismissal and Omer Riza stepping up to take interim control, but nearly two months later, it’s no clearer who is going to be appointed as the manager on a permanent basis.
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With no permanent boss in place and uncertainty around the long-term plans at the club, it’s hardly surprising that little thought appears to have been given to the 13 players who will see their contracts expire at the end of the season.
At this point last season, a number of players had signed new deals, including Jak Alnwick, Ollie Tanner, Mark McGuinness, Ryan Wintle, Perry Ng and Rubin Colwill. However, this season no one has put pen to paper.
With the January transfer window on the horizon, and players over the age of 23 allowed to sign pre-contract negotiations with clubs in the new year, you would imagine Vincent Tan will be keen to get senior players to extend their contracts and not lose them on a free.
If Tan doesn’t act and allows them to walk away, you can expect the Cardiff faithful to get restless. City’s apparent reluctance to appoint a permanent manager could cost them in January if they do not act quick and sort out the future of many key players.
But with the uncertainty of whether Riza will still be in charge in the new year, it’s proving to be a challenge. Here, we take a look at the player whose deals expire next summer and their current situation.
Jak Alnwick
A standout performer in a struggling City side, Alnwick has made that number one position his own. Ethan Horvath was expected to be the number one this year having taken the spot when he signed in January last season. But Alnwick took his chance and impressed with his performances so far giving the manager no choice but to make him the regular keeper.
Having captained the Bluebirds in a number of games this season, losing him next summer would mean not only losing a key player on the pitch but also a leader in the dressing room, something that will be crucial to Cardiff City if they are going to turn around their fortunes and stay up.
It seems an obvious decision to extend his contract before January, when there’s no doubt to be a number of clubs sniffing around for City’s number one.
Dimitrios Goutas
A player who played every Championship game last season and has so far featured in 12 this term is the sort of player you need around the club. A reliable centre half who barely puts a foot wrong. It’s seems a clear choice his contract has to be extended.
A player who is one of the first names on the team shirt under any manager he plays for is someone who categorically should not be allowed to leave on a free, and with plenty of clubs crying out for a powerful centre half he will be spoilt for choice if he is allowed to run his contract down.
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Jamilu Collins
Bulut’s go-to left back last season, this season he has had to settle for a different role.
Collins had a tough start to life in the Welsh capital after being sidelined for a full season with an ACL injury. But last season under Bulut he was the main man at left back, making 36 Championship appearances. This season he has fallen out of favour, making just two appearances and he has even been left out of a number of match-day squads.
It was clear to see last season there was a good player in there, but with him out of favour with Omer Riza, if he is to get the permanent job, it’s hard to see a reason for City to extend an aging Collins’ contract.
Callum O’Dowda
A no-brainier!
O’Dowda has been expectational this season, on the wing and at full-back. A player who can change games with his lighting pace, which City lack in other areas of the pitch, but also solid in defence.
He has been a standout player this season, and with so much Championship experience he’s vital to this City squad. Since Riza took charge O’Dowda has been a huge part of the club’s improvement.
O’Dowda will almost definitely be offered a new contract.
Andy Rinomhota
A player who has struggled to get a run of games together in the last couple of years, he has been forced to get used to a different role in a Bluebirds shirt from his debut season at Cardiff where he made 39 appearances.
But he has shown he can be a useful utility player off the bench this season, making six appearances and proving he can do a job in a number of positions in midfield and at right-back.
City have a number of young talented players coming through such as Colwill and Tanner among others, but it’s important to have experience in the squad and Rinomhota offers exactly that, having featured regularly in the Championship for over six years.
Right now, his future is in the air, but there’s still plenty of time to prove to the Cardiff hierarchy why he deserves a contract.
Aaron Ramsey
When news broke that Ramsey was coming home to his boyhood club there wasn’t a single person who wasn’t excited to see how the ex-Arsenal and Juventus star would perform in a Cardiff shirt. But, unfortunately, his homecoming hasn’t gone quite as planned. Since joining last season, injuries have plagued his return to the Welsh capital, having managed to make only 17 Championship appearances since the start of 2023/24 season.
Ramsey has openly expressed his desire to one day step into management, but just when that will be no one knows. Wales manager Craig Bellamy believes he has years of playing still left in him.
There is an option in Ramsey's contract to extend by a further year, but it remains to be seen whether that will be triggered.
Joe Ralls
Skipper Joe Ralls has been at the club his whole senior career, bar a loan spell to Yeovil Town in the 13/14 season. A fan favourite, he has made nearly 400 appearances in all competitions in a Bluebirds shirt. A man who knows the club inside out and would die for the badge.
Ralls has endured a difficult campaign this season having played only seven times due a leg injury that has kept him sidelined since the middle of October. Before getting injured he was a regular feature in the City side this season and had been one of the first names on the team sheet.
It’s good news for City fans because Ralls has an option for a further year in his contract which can be triggered. Expect to see the skipper stick around next season and continue to lead the side out at Cardiff City Stadium.
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Anwar El Ghazi
A player who has performed for a number of years at the very top level, Bluebirds fans were excited to see his arrival this summer. Despite having played at the top level for many years he hasn’t quite lived up to the expectations City fans had for him.
Having played just five times in the previous two years it wasn’t unexpected that he may take a few games to get back to the level he has shown at other clubs around Europe, but the Dutchman seems to be struggling to reach the lofty heights he showed at his previous clubs.
Both Bulut and Riza have put their trust in him this season, rewarding him with 13 appearances, but with the ability he has it is disappointing he hasn’t been able to reach that level and propel City forward this campaign. With no permanent manager in place and El Ghazi likely to be one of City’s higher earners, it’s hard to say for certain what will happen with his future at the club.
Yakou Méïté
Méïté has had to take a different role this season than he was used to in the previous campaign. Having made 26 starts last season, he must be disappointed with his three starts this time around. A player who prefers to play through the middle but can also operate out wide, he offers useful cover in an area Cardiff are light in top-quality options.
Méïté hasn’t quite captured his form he showcased at Reading, scoring 47 goals in 165 appearances for the Royals, compared to his two goals in 49 games in a Bluebirds shirt.
We all know there is a decent player there, and with the main man Callum Robinson struggling with an ongoing Achilles problem, he will still get plenty of opportunities to prove to the management staff why he deserves a spot in the squad next season.
Isaak Davies
The Cardiff City academy graduate broke onto the scene back in the 2021/22 season, making 28 first-team appearances in his maiden Championship season. The young Welshman has shown a real glimpse of the quality he possesses and is just waiting in the wings for his opportunity to prove it. A loan move to KV Kortrijk in Belgium last season, where he netted 12 goals, proved why he deserves a run in the first team.
Bulut announced earlier in the season Davies was part of his plans this campaign, but a serious hamstring injury in pre-season has scuppered his chance to prove himself this term.
With the striker expected to return to action in mid-January he won’t have long to prove himself, but if he can show a fraction of the quality he showed in Belgium there’s no doubt the young lad will play an important role for many years at City.
Kion Etete
Another striker who has struggled with injury this season, Etete is yet to make an appearance this season. The striker has now nearly completed rehabilitation, having made a 45-minute cameo and scoring once in Cardiff City U21s' 4-1 victory over Bristol City. Over the past two seasons at City, Etete has mainly featured as a rotation player making the majority of his appearances from the bench.
With Bluebirds fans crying out for reinforcements in attacking areas Etete may be given his opportunity to show the Cardiff hierarchy he deserves to be rewarded with a new contract. At only 22 years old the big target man still has plenty of time to improve and it will be interesting to see how City utilise him for the rest of the season, now he has returned from injury.
Callum Robinson
The Bluebirds' top goal scorer this season, having netted five so far this campaign, he has been vital to City’s attacking threat under Riza.
Robinson has earnt the number nine spot this year and given the confidence he has shown in front of goal under Riza, it would be no surprise if his current season total of five is tripled come the end of this campaign.
An Achilles injury has dampened his season slightly, but Riza has reassured fans his absence from the team recently is just precautionary. There is no doubt if Robinson continues with his fine goal scoring form he will be rewarded with a new contract.
Wilfried Kanga
It’s no secret Cardiff have been lacking a quality number nine for several years now and City were hoping the addition of Kanga on loan was going to be the saviour. He had a great season in the Belgium league last year, scoring 12 times in 36 appearances and having done well at numerous clubs around Europe it looked like bringing Kanga in on loan could be a smart piece of business.
However, so far this season Kanga has struggled to find his feet in Wales. The loanee has made 13 appearances this campaign but hasn’t started a game since September when Omer Riza took control.
Kanga has appeared to struggle with the step up from the Belgian league to the Championship. Despite being big in stature, he struggled to impose himself physically in games and hasn’t quite looked ready for Championship football.
There is still plenty of time for Kanga to make an impression but with the player not living up to the expectations around him, it’s unlikely he will return to Wales after his loan expires.
