Cardiff City have confirmed the permanent signing of highly-rated Manchester City midfielder Cass Machin, while former forward Morgan Wigley has joined Merthyr Town and youngster Mannie Barton has set a 30-goal target for the season.
Cass Machin Joins from Manchester City
The 16-year-old midfielder's move was announced by his agency, GSW Football, on social media on Wednesday, showing Machin holding a Cardiff City scarf at Cardiff City Stadium. “We're delighted to announce Cass Machin has completed a permanent move from Man City to Cardiff City,” the agency wrote. “A move that presents the perfect opportunity for Cass to continue his development in an environment where he can thrive. Wishing Cass every success as he begins this exciting new chapter. Best of luck, Cass.”
The transfer had been anticipated after WalesOnline reported in May that Cardiff were set to secure one of Manchester City's brightest academy prospects. Machin, who has been with the Premier League club since under-nine level, is a technically-gifted midfielder who featured for Manchester City's under-16s last season and is expected to join Cardiff's under-18s for the upcoming campaign.
His arrival underscores Cardiff's growing ambition at academy level under manager Brian Barry-Murphy, who spent four years coaching within Manchester City's academy before taking charge in the Welsh capital. Barry-Murphy has emphasized developing young players capable of progressing into the first team. Cardiff's academy has recently produced talents such as Cian Ashford, Joel Colwill, Eli King, Isaak Davies, Ronan Kpakio, and Tanatswa Nyakuhwa, who have all moved into senior football. Machin is seen as another player who can thrive in Cardiff's possession-based development model.
Morgan Wigley Moves to Merthyr Town
Former Cardiff City forward Morgan Wigley has signed a one-year deal with Merthyr Town after his contract with the Bluebirds expired on June 30. The 21-year-old winger was named on Cardiff's retained list at the end of last season and became a free agent this week. Merthyr confirmed the signing ahead of their National League North campaign.
Wigley joined Cardiff at age seven and signed his first professional contract in 2023 under Erol Bulut. He spent the first half of last season on loan at Barry Town United before returning to Cardiff's under-21 side in January. At Merthyr, he will reunite with former Bluebirds teammate Will Spiers, who also joined the club this summer after loan spells.
Merthyr manager Paul Michael praised Wigley's attributes: “Morgan has elite level pace, an excellent touch and is a good finisher. Although his loan didn't set the world alight last season, I believe he has all the qualities to succeed beyond this level. You only need to look at his performances for Cardiff City under-21s against ourselves and Yeovil to see his frightening potential and I'm really looking forward to working with him.”
Mannie Barton Targets 30 Goals
Promising Cardiff City youngster Mannie Barton has set an ambitious target of scoring 30 goals this season to catch Barry-Murphy's eye. The 18-year-old forward narrowly missed the milestone last term but has achieved it in previous campaigns. “I want to score another load of goals,” Barton told Cardiff City's media team. “I want to reach 30 again. I was unlucky not to reach it last year like I have in previous seasons. I want to score as many as I can. Hopefully push on this season and put in impressive performances.”
Barton will have opportunities to impress during Cardiff under-21s' pre-season schedule, which includes matches against senior sides like Poole Town, Bath City, Yeovil Town, and Torquay United, as well as Category One academy teams from Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool, and Fulham. “We have got some tough challenges coming up, testing ourselves against Cat 1 teams and men's teams - different challenges,” he said. “It poses different challenges. We want to be challenging to play men's football, so playing them will only do us a favour. If you pose yourself against Cat 1 teams the quality is going to be immense.”
With Barry-Murphy prioritizing youth development, Barton hopes a prolific campaign can put him in contention for first-team opportunities during the 2026/27 season.
