Cardiff City's early-season transfer work has served as a timely pick-me-up for Bluebirds supporters.
The end of the campaign seemed to drag on forever, with supporters largely desperate for it to end so they could witness the big summer rebuild in full flow. Well, after months of talking about it, manager Steve Morison wasted no time in getting bodies through the door, players he and his recruitment team have monitored for months now in the knowledge of how crucial this off-season would be.
City have so far unveiled Ebou Adams, Jak Alnwick, Ollie Tanner and Jamilu Collins, securing four transfers in a week and we are still only in May. The names are perhaps a little less known, but we are assured they have been targets for some time and they all fit the bill for how Morison sees his team playing next season.
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However, the end of the Premier League season, coupled with the deadline passing for EFL clubs to submit their retained lists to the governing body, signals phase two of the Bluebirds' summer recruitment plan. It will all be a little more fluid and potentially reactive now to other clubs' and players' situations.
For the above reasons, we understand that this week will be far quieter on the transfer front. Perhaps that's obvious to some, it had to slow down at some stage otherwise there would be 40 signings by mid-June. But while the first four through the door were certain of their futures, all of them wanting to make the step up in standard, it was perhaps easier to plan their arrivals.
Now Cardiff need to add experience and talent to their ranks and that is when things get more competitive. Players, though, will at least now know the lay of the land after Premier League teams learned of their promotion and relegation fate and EFL clubs have decided which players are being kept on and who will become free agents.
The likes of Callum O'Dowda, who has been released by Bristol City, has a lot of Championship experience. It was revealed last week he would depart Ashton Gate and now as many as seven clubs, including Cardiff, are keen on him. Josh Laurent is said to be in talks with Reading, but he is not short of suitors, either, with the Bluebirds also having registered an interest in him.
While the first four through the door gave an early-window boost, supporters know they will need some seasoned Championship players in their ranks next season, too. It's a tough old league and one which can truly get on top of you without the requisite know-how.
Cardiff will also lean heavily on the loan market and expect to use all five allocated slots before the window closes. They feel they can get that extra bit of quality by paying only a fraction of the price. For example, Leeds United consolidating their Premier League status on Sunday could have a major knock-on effect for Cody Drameh. Cardiff would love to have Drameh back, but in the top flight he is far less likely to get game time, something which is a major factor in his decision-making which he told WalesOnline in an interview earlier this month.
We still await the publication of Cardiff's retained list, which is expected soon, but it will be little surprise to see the lion's share of out-of-contract players depart. So, with four already in the building, Cardiff will need perhaps around a dozen more before the window closes.
Leaving the Bluebirds squad will be a lot of Championship experience and that needs to be replaced. Divisional nous is required in this league perhaps more than any other.
So this is where the hard work starts in earnest - not like there hasn't been hard work leading up to this point, but you get the gist. Premier League clubs will now be deciding where they want to send their young or fringe players and Cardiff are desperate to get their first-choice picks in, but these top-flight loan deals do, frustratingly, tend to drag on more than most (see Ryan Giles at the end of the January window!).
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If, for argument's sake, we say all of Cardiff's out-of-contract players leave and add in the four players who have been signed already, then it highlights the work which still needs to be done.
- Goalkeepers: Dillon Phillips, Jak Alnwick
- Defenders: Perry Ng, Mark McGuinness, Oliver Denham, Curtis Nelson, Joel Bagan, Jamilu Collins
- Midfielders: Ryan Wintle, Rubin Colwill, Ebou Adams, Eli King, Ollie Tanner, Gavin Whyte, Tom Sang
- Forwards: Max Watters, Isaak Davies, Mark Harris, James Collins
Given Ng has operated impressively at right centre-half, one suspects there is a need for one, possibly two right-backs before the window closes. Whether one of those is Drameh remains to be seen, although few could begrudge him if he had his sights set further up the pyramid.
Left-back probably looks covered now, while centre-back is still an area that needs another body you feel, given the relative inexperience and youth of both Oliver Denham and Mark McGuinness.
Midfield needs major additions before the window is closed. Another two central players, another creative player and potentially two wingers, if City want to be able to employ a system with wide players in that way, should be on the wish list. Gavin Whyte and Tom Sang's futures are still seemingly very much up in the air, too.
Up front, well, there aren't a lot of Cardiff goals there. That's where the Bluebirds will need some serious quality, you feel. Question marks surround James Collins' future at the club, while the club will want more output in front of goal from the other three next season if they all remain in situ. But you have to think another striker or two with some pedigree will be high on the priority list.
