Cardiff City announce 'powerful' first January signing on long-term deal
Cardiff City have announced their first January signing in the form of striker Yousef Salech, who has penned a four-and-a-half-year deal with the Bluebirds on the day of his 23rd birthday.
It is understood the deal, which will keep the player at the club until June 2029, could be worth as much as £3.3m if all bonuses and add-ons are triggered, which Swedish media claim is a club-record sale for Sirius. Of course, Cardiff's initial outlay is far less than that.
Cardiff have been desperate to add firepower in attack, having struggled in the striker department since the departure of Kieffer Moore three years ago. Callum Robinson has had to shoulder most of the goalscoring burden since his arrival but undoubtedly needs help. Sign up to our daily Cardiff City newsletter here.
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The Bluebirds' two most recent striker signings - Salech and Roko Simic - are both in their early twenties and are untested in the English Football League, so represent something of a gamble. But Cardiff will hope Salech can kick on from his promising form last season - he scored 11 goals in 27 games in the Swedish top flight - and help them wade out of relegation trouble this term. Whether that form translates to the brutal Championship remains to be seen, of course.
Salech has been signed in time to be available for Saturday's South Wales derby, however he has not played since the Allsvenskan league season finished on November 10, so whether he is match fit is another question all together.
“I’ve been monitoring him for a while now. He’s a strong, powerful lad who can hold the ball up and bring people into play, but he’s also very good at getting beyond the opposition by making well-timed, intelligent runs," manager Omer Riza said.
“He’s dangerous in the box, he wants to get goals, and he’s got a lot of good attributes which will offer a huge amount. I think we’ve got a real gem here.
“He’s been working hard individually over the last five weeks, keeping himself in good condition. He hasn’t played since November, but he hasn’t had loads of rest either. He’s hungry and he wants to prove himself, and that’s what you want from your players.”
Salech was a prolific goalscorer with Hellerup IK in his native Denmark throughout youth football before sealing a move to Brondby in 2021. He went on loan in the second tier in Denmark with HB Koge and scored 15 in 24 appearances, but netted just once in 12 outings on loan at Belgian Pro League side Beveren last term. But after sealing a move to Sirius, he found form and scored 13 times in 29 games in all competitions for the Swedish club.
“I’m really happy to join the club. Cardiff City is a massive club – two cup finals in the last 20 years – so it’s a big club in the UK, and I’m really pleased to be here," Salech said.
“It’s a really nice stadium, and I’ve met some really nice people so far. The Championship is an interesting league; it’s competitive with some good teams, and I want to be part of that.
“I focus on scoring goals and creating chances for my teammates. I would say that I have a good physical package. I’d describe myself as a hardworking player who wants to do the best for the team."
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Standing at 6ft 4ins, the forward has a physical and aerial presence which saw him become the subject of transfer interest from a number of teams in recent months, including Egyptian side Al Ahly, Norwegian top-flight outfit Molde and Croatian side Dinamo Zagreb, who now look set to sign Wilfried Kanga.
Salech, according to our expert insight from Sweden, is said to be "dangerous" in the box, however he must improve around the pitch if he is to add to his game. You can read more on that here.
His mother is from Poland, his father is from Palestine but moved to Jordan before settling in Denmark, where he was born.
