Cardiff City have confirmed the signing of Reading midfielder Andy Rinomhota on a three-year deal.
The Bluebirds have now made nine signings and have worked extremely quickly to fill the inevitable void which has been left by the departure of so many out-of-contract players.
Rinomhota, 25, becomes the second central midfielder player to link up with the Bluebirds, joining Ebou Adams who was City's first signing of the window. The central midfield player joins Adams, Ollie Tanner, Jak Alnwick, Ryan Allsop, Callum O'Dowda, Mahlon Romeo, Vontae Daley-Campbell and Jamilu Collins as the new summer recruits.
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“I spoke with the manager, and I liked his ideas and his plans moving forward," said the new signing. “His ambitions were in line with mine, and the philosophy he wants to play with suits my style of football.
“The club has a good history and a good reputation. Everybody has been very welcoming and helpful, and they seem like a good group of lads. It should be easy to settle in.
“I’m a midfield player. I would say that I’m box-to-box, but I can sit and be more defensive as well, because I like to break up play. I like to drive with the ball, get past players, and make runs behind the striker. I’m looking to do a bit of everything, and hopefully I can implement my style in this team.”
It is understood that Reading offered the player a new deal, with Stoke City and QPR also credited with interest in his signature. However Cardiff were able to get a deal over the line in a position in which they desperately needed bolstering.
Marlon Pack, Will Vaulks and Leandro Bacuna have all left the club, while as yet there is no sign of Joe Ralls having put pen to paper on the new deal which has been offered to him.
WalesOnline has been told that there is a real emphasis on strengthening the spine of the team, with two centre-backs, a striker and another midfielder thought to be high on the agenda.
Meanwhile, James Connolly has sealed a permanent move to Bristol Rovers. The 20-year-old has joined the League One side for an undisclosed fee on a three-year contract.
Boss Joey Barton said: “We are delighted to get James back with us. He was a key part of our promotion success last season. His arrival on loan in January coincided with the team going on a run of 16 wins, six draws and just three defeats.
“At just 20, his performances and presence amongst our squad defied his age and, once we understood that there was an opportunity to secure his signature permanently, we have moved quickly to close off that deal with Cardiff City.
“James has huge potential and we are excited to support his continual improvement to help our team be successful now that he’s officially a Bristol Rovers player.”
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