Cardiff City are closing in on securing their first signing of the January transfer window in the form of striker Yousef Salech.

It is a deal which has gathered pace very quickly in recent days, with Cardiff desperate to add goals and reinforcements at the top end of the pitch in a bid to get out of relegation trouble.

Omer Riza will hope Salech, 22, who scored 11 goals in 27 games in the Swedish top flight last season, can bolster the Bluebirds' forward line in the coming months, with a deal thought to be close to completion.

READ MORE: Cardiff City transfer bulletin as £3m signing nears and club make U-turn on move

READ MORE: Swansea City transfer bulletin as club consider player swap in bid to land Joe Low deal

The striker was signed by Sirius from Brondby last season and hit the ground running in Sweden. "He had a really impressive first half of the season, scoring a lot of goals, he also could have scored even more. He missed a penalty and some chances," says UNT journalist Daniel Meisels, who covers Sirius.

"During the summer he suffered an injury that kept him out for a month, after that he didn't preform as well as before. He apparently played with some pain, too. But a very good first season, you must say. He had some interest around him during the summer, but Sirius decided to keep him."

Egyptian side Al Ahly, Norwegian top-flight team Molde and Croatian outfit Dinamo Zagreb have all been linked with moves for the forward, but it appears the Championship is the player's chosen destination. Sign up to our daily Cardiff City newsletter here.

Cardiff have a patchy record, at best, when it comes to striker signings, and that record is a lot worse when it comes to foreign strikers, but they will be desperate for this one is a success, given they are forking out more than £3m.

"It's very hard to tell," Meisels replies when asked if the deal is good value for Cardiff. "I think his style fits well in the UK. It will be interesting to see how he does.

"He is a typical box striker, very dangerous in the box. He is also good at meeting the ball and then advancing in to the box. Cardiff are getting a box player who should be in the area as much as possible.

"His biggest strength is his size and his play in the box, he's a very strong player. His weakness is the play outside the box and that he can be a bit static."

WHATSAPP: Join the Cardiff City breaking news and top stories WhatsApp community

Cardiff are still looking for more reinforcements, pace out wide and in midfield, so if the deal gets done without a hitch, they will likely want Salech, standing at 6ft 4ins, to be that "monster" in the box, which Meisels has referred to him as previously on social media, for others to use as a focal point.

The Bluebirds also have Kion Etete back from injury and Roko Simic back from a failed loan at KV Kortrijk, so there will be a battle there for the towering strikers.

Born in Denmark, there is some ambiguity over his national allegiances, however, when asked about some background on the player, Meisels added: "He is very laid back, calm guy, not so outspoken.

"His mother is from Poland, his father is from Palestine but moved to Jordan and then to Denmark. Apparently he has now chosen to play for the Jordanian national team. His girlfriend is Swedish - they have a dog named Hassan!"