Cardiff City have seven days to turn a frustrating transfer window into one which can ultimately be judged a success. The transfer window closes at 11pm on Monday, September 1, leaving Brian Barry-Murphy and the Cardiff hierarchy with a pivotal final week to shape the squad for the Championship campaign.
It has been a slow summer of business by Cardiff's standards, with Nathan Trott's loan made permanent and Liverpool youngster Calum Scanlon returning on another temporary deal. Jack Moylan is the other major addition, with the attacking midfielder arriving from Lincoln City for a fee understood to be around £3m.
The early signs are extremely encouraging. Moylan scored on his debut against Swindon Town and has already looked like the sort of intelligent, technical addition Cardiff needed. But they need more. The Bluebirds have a young squad packed with potential, but their opening weeks back in the Championship have already exposed the physical demands of the division.
Cardiff stretched by injuries
Cardiff are stretched. Injuries have made that even more apparent. There is now an acceptance within the club that more work needs to be done before the deadline, with three additions probably the minimum required and four making the window look considerably healthier.
Here are the seven deals Cardiff could complete this week to make the summer a success.
Centre-back and midfielder priorities
Signing a centre-back has become unavoidable. Barry-Murphy has been reluctant to make panic signings throughout the summer and rightly wants recruitment to be driven by long-term planning rather than short-term fear. But the situation at centre-back has changed.
Dylan Lawlor is likely to remain out for another month in all likelihood, Will Fish is facing the best part of three months on the sidelines and Calum Chambers' knee problem shows little sign of resolving itself. Then there is Gabriel Osho, who suffered a knee injury during the 1-1 draw with Wrexham. Suddenly, a position which already needed strengthening has become a genuine crisis.
Cardiff cannot go into the next few months relying on the bare minimum of senior centre-back options, particularly in a division as physically demanding as the Championship. A centre-back is now firmly on the agenda in the final week.
Barry-Murphy has wanted a deep-lying midfielder all summer. This is not a reaction to the opening week. Cardiff have wanted another deep-lying midfielder throughout the window. Alex Robertson has started the season impressively in that role and has shown exactly why Barry-Murphy has such faith in him. But Robertson needs competition and support.
Striker, winger and loan exits
There needs to be another player capable of controlling games from deep, providing physicality and giving Cardiff another tactical option when the demands of a particular match require it. The Bluebirds have a talented midfield, but another specialist option in that position would make the squad significantly stronger. This remains a priority.
There was a timely reminder at Pride Park on Saturday of what Yousef Salech can offer Cardiff. The striker got off the mark for the season in the 2-2 draw with Derby County and remains the obvious focal point of Barry-Murphy's attack. Callum Robinson provides experienced back-up. But Cardiff need more.
The experience of last season, when Salech's injury left the team vulnerable, should not be forgotten. And there's no Omari Kellyman to fill the void this time. The Championship is relentless and Cardiff cannot afford to have their attacking threat hinge on the fitness of one player. Barry-Murphy has already admitted that a striker remains on his wish list following Roko Simic's departure. A forward capable of genuinely challenging Salech for the starting position would be a major addition.
Adding a winger with pace is perhaps a luxury addition, but one which could make a significant difference. Cardiff have plenty of players who can operate in wide areas. Cian Ashford, Isaak Davies, Chris Willock, Ollie Tanner and Moylan can all play there, while Scanlon could potentially be pushed further forward if required. But look a little closer and the options maybe become less convincing.
Ashford has increasingly looked comfortable in a more central role. Moylan also appears capable of operating between the lines, while Scanlon is primarily a left-back. Davies considers himself a striker. That leaves Willock and Tanner as the most obvious out-and-out wing options. So, if Cardiff are being greedy, this is where they could improve further. A quick, direct winger with genuine pace would give Barry-Murphy something different and provide another way of stretching Championship defences. It is not necessarily as urgent as the other three positions. But if Cardiff could get one done, it would make the squad considerably more complete.
The final week is not only about bringing players in. There is also work to do on the other side of the equation. Kion Etete needs a new home. A permanent transfer may prove difficult given his Championship wages and the markets Cardiff are likely to be exploring, making another loan the most realistic solution. The priority is getting Etete somewhere where he can play regularly and rebuild his career.
Mafico enjoyed a promising loan spell at Yeovil Town last season. Now he needs the next challenge. There is significant belief within Cardiff in the midfielder's potential and this feels like an important season in his development. The aim should be to find him a loan at a higher level where he can be tested against better players and in a more demanding environment. A successful spell this season could put him firmly into Cardiff's first-team picture in the future. The next week is therefore important not only for the senior squad but also for the development pathway which Barry-Murphy and the club are so keen to establish.
Nyakuhwa is another player who needs regular senior football. The winger made encouraging progress last season before joining Newport County on loan and continuing to develop. His campaign was cut short by a nasty injury suffered while on Wales Under-21 duty in March. But there should still be interest in him. At 20, Nyakuhwa needs to get back playing regularly and take another step forward. A Football League loan would be ideal, although a move elsewhere in the UK or Europe could also provide the right level of competition. Cardiff have genuine hopes for Nyakuhwa and this should be about finding the environment which gives him the best opportunity to fulfil that potential.
