Brian Barry-Murphy has insisted Cardiff City are not finished in the transfer market after Krystian Bielik's arrival, with the manager indicating further defensive reinforcements could still be pursued with the Pole brought in to bolster the midfield.
Bielik was confirmed as Cardiff's latest signing on Thursday, bringing an end to a lengthy pursuit of the experienced Poland international. The 28-year-old's versatility was a key factor in Cardiff's decision to bring him to the club, with Bielik capable of operating both at centre-back and as a holding midfielder.
However, while his arrival provides Barry-Murphy with an extra option in both areas, the Cardiff boss suggested the signing should not necessarily be viewed as the solution to both of the recruitment priorities he had previously identified.
Centre-back hunt not over
Asked whether Bielik's arrival brought an end to the pursuit of a centre-back, Barry-Murphy said: "It does cover both [positions], but I wouldn't say for certain that's the end of it."
That leaves the door open for Cardiff to strengthen further at centre-back before Tuesday's 11pm transfer deadline, with the Bluebirds having been stretched in that position during the opening weeks of the season. Dylan Lawlor and Will Fish face lengthy lay-offs, while Calum Chambers' mystery knee injury is harder to put a timescale on. The good news is that Gabriel Osho is back in training after missing the last two matches following a hyper-extended knee.
Bielik's ability to operate in midfield is also significant following Ryan Wintle's departure. Barry-Murphy has previously spoken of the need for a defensive midfielder, with Alex Robertson currently occupying that role excellently so far this summer.
Versatility a key attraction
The Cardiff manager confirmed that Bielik's versatility was an important attraction, rather than simply his experience.
"The reason was the ability that he has and, like I said, the ability he shows when he plays in both roles, as a holding midfielder and as a centre-back," he said. "That versatility was probably important because it gives us the chance to have a player of the highest level in both positions, and that's something that we needed once we knew that Ryan wouldn't be with us this season."
Bielik's arrival had been in the works for around six weeks before the deal was finally completed, with Barry-Murphy admitting Cardiff had been prepared to wait rather than compromise on their preferred target.
"We would have loved to have Krystian in six weeks ago, but it just wasn't possible," he said. "It's much better than not having him here at all. I guess that's the situation you face when it may not have looked likely that Krystian was coming and you have the option of bringing in somebody else or an alternative. You have to be almost willing to accept that if you don't get him, you may end up going past the window and not have a player. But I would rather have it that way than have somebody that we don't quite have the same belief or want here."
More business before deadline?
Cardiff are understood to have further attacking additions on their wish list before the window closes, with a striker and winger among the positions the club are looking at. Barry-Murphy was asked whether he was keen to get more business done before the deadline.
"Very keen," he replied. But when asked how close Cardiff were to their next arrival, his response was blunt: "I haven't got a clue!"
The manager also played down the chances of another new signing being available for Saturday's home meeting with Sheffield United. Players must be registered by midday on Friday to be eligible to feature against the Blades, but Barry-Murphy was reluctant to predict that Cardiff could complete another deal in time.
"Based on how long this one took, I wouldn't put my name to that one!" he said. That means Bielik is likely to be the only new arrival available to Barry-Murphy for Saturday's clash, assuming he is deemed ready to feature.
The manager stressed that Cardiff would not rush their latest signing into action, particularly given Bielik's recent injury history.
"We've had relatively positive news. Gabriel Osho trained on Tuesday, so hopefully he'll continue today," Barry-Murphy said. "We haven't seen a lot of Krystian yet because of the hurried nature of this, so we'll see how he is today in training and then make a judgement. As pleased as we are to have him here, I think it's important that we don't rush him into doing something that he's not ready for."
