Cardiff City are on the verge of completing a permanent deal for West Bromwich Albion defender Krystian Bielik, with Brian Barry-Murphy finally set to strengthen his injury-hit defence.
The Bluebirds are understood to be close to securing the experienced Poland international, who is expected to sign a multi-year contract at Cardiff City Stadium. The 28-year-old can play at centre-back or in midfield and is seen as a versatile option for Barry-Murphy, whose squad has been stretched by a growing injury list.
Bielik's season at West Brom
Bielik joined West Brom last summer after his contract at Birmingham City expired, and made 17 Championship appearances during the 2025/26 campaign. However, he struggled to secure a regular starting place at The Hawthorns and has begun this season among the substitutes.
He was named on the bench for West Brom's opening two matches of the campaign, coming on for the final minute of their season opener against Norwich City. His move to Cardiff would give Barry-Murphy another senior option at the heart of his defence at a time when the Bluebirds have had to rely on younger players.
Cardiff's defensive crisis
Cardiff's defensive problems have been clear in recent weeks, with Will Fish ruled out for around three months following surgery, while Dylan Lawlor is yet to feature this season. Callum Chambers has also been unavailable, and Gabriel Osho has been working his way back towards a return after a knee problem.
The situation became particularly acute during Tuesday night's 2-1 Carabao Cup defeat to Norwich, when 15-year-old Noah Anyadike made his senior debut before being forced off with cramp. Bielik's arrival would represent a significant boost for Barry-Murphy as Cardiff attempt to strengthen before the transfer window closes next Tuesday.
Manager expects busy final days
It also comes after the manager admitted he expected the club to be "very" busy in the final days of the window. Cardiff had only added Jack Moylan as a new senior signing before the Norwich defeat, along with the returning Nathan Trott and Calum Scanlon, with Barry-Murphy previously hopeful of having another arrival in place for the Carabao Cup tie.
Asked after the defeat how busy he expected Cardiff to be over the coming days, Barry-Murphy crossed his fingers and replied: "Hopefully, very." When asked whether he remained confident that the target he had expected to arrive before Norwich could still complete a move, the manager said: "I hope so."
He was then asked whether he expected to have a signing in place by Thursday. "I would certainly hope so," he said, again with fingers crossed. "I was pretty sure we'd have somebody in today, so hopefully that'll be the case by Thursday."
Barry-Murphy had explained that Cardiff's delays in the market were partly down to the club being particularly selective over the players they wanted to bring in. The manager also insisted there was financial headroom for further additions and explained that owner Vincent Tan was not involved in every day-to-day transfer discussion.
"I think the club works in a way that, when we need something, we go to him, but I wouldn't be ringing him every single day looking for things," Barry-Murphy said. "I think he wouldn't be long telling me where to go. We're very grateful for all the support we've had, but we've spent so little, I think we're very confident we can bring players in."
Bielik's career so far
Bielik's arrival would give Cardiff a player with considerable experience of English football. The Poland international began his senior career with Legia Warsaw before joining Arsenal in 2015. He never made a first-team appearance for the Gunners but spent time on loan at Birmingham City, Walsall and Charlton Athletic, making 31 appearances and scoring three goals for the latter during the 2018/19 season.
He joined Derby County permanently in 2019 and made 48 appearances for the Rams before returning to Birmingham on loan during the 2022/23 campaign. Bielik subsequently made his move to St Andrew's permanent and went on to play 68 times for Birmingham before joining West Brom in 2025. He has also won 11 senior caps for Poland.
