Here are your Cardiff City headlines for Tuesday, April 5.
Cardiff January target could be let go immediately
January transfer target Nahki Wells looks set to leave Bristol City, according to Bristol Live.
The Bluebirds were very keen on bringing the 31-year-old striker to Cardiff City Stadium in January and failed with two loan bids to sign him. It is understood that the Robins' preference was to sell the player.
Wells opened up on his failed move to Cardiff just days after it all fell through, revealing he was "disappointed" a deal could not be struck between the two sides at the end of the window. The day after the transfer window closed, Wells played for Bristol City's under-23s in a victory over the Bluebirds and spoke of the irony of playing against a team he could have signed for just hours before.
“I’m a professional, and I conduct myself properly,” he said of the decision to play for the under-23s after the deadline shut. “That’s why I put myself forward for the U23 game, to get some minutes under my belt and show the manager my approach.
“It was a good performance. I scored some goals and felt good fitness-wise. The irony is, it was against Cardiff, and I thought I could have been a Cardiff player hours before that. Physically, I’m still in my peak, and I genuinely feel like I’m in my prime. I don’t think I’ve lost anything; everything is still there.”
Whether Cardiff choose to reignite their interest in the summer remains to be seen. However, he might be across the Atlantic by then, with previous reports suggesting that the striker has been attracting the attention from two MLS sides.
The new MLS season starts on February 26 and EFL rules permit the movement of players of clubs to teams whose windows are still active, even if it doesn’t coincide with the European calendar.
Bacuna's cryptic social media message
Leandro Bacuna has taken to his Instagram to refer to what he calls 'the next chapter', amid ongoing uncertainty over his future in the capital.
Bacuna hasn't played for Cardiff since he his sending off against Bournemouth at the end of December, and looks almost certain to be shown the door this summer. The midfielder is one of ten senior stars set to be out of contract at the end of the season, and a new deal seems increasingly unlikely.
Amid all the talk over what might happen next, the 30-year-old posted a photo on his Instagram with the caption: "Alless ..... over here still smiling everyday waiting for the next chapter".
Under-23s back to winning ways
Cardiff City under-23s got back to winning ways with a comfortable 2-0 win over Barnsley at Cardiff City Stadium.
Goals in either half, one from Jack Leahy the other from James Collins, ensured Darren Purse's men came away with all three points and earned their second win in three games following a run of disappointing results.
There were outings for established senior players Curtis Nelson and Collins, while Dillon Phillips was handed the gloves for a stint in goal too, as they look to keep their match sharpness following some time out of the first team. It was a hard-fought contest in the capital, but it was Cardiff who struck the first blow.
Leahy put the Bluebirds ahead midway through the first half with an excellently-taken goal. It came after some strong work from James Crole on the right-hand touchline, and he found his team-mate 20 yards from goal in the middle of the pitch.
Leahy, who was impressive throughout the match, shifted the ball on to his right foot before smashing the ball low into the bottom corner. Minutes into the second half, Cardiff had a golden opportunity to double the lead when Leahy released Crole with a lovely through-ball.
Crole, who muscled his way through on goal, was denied by an excellent save from the visiting goalkeeper. But we had to wait until just four minutes from time for Collins to make sure of the three points. Substitute Siya Ligendza did brilliantly to play in Leahy down the left before the winger slid a pass across goal for Collins to tap in from just a few yards out.
Cardiff City XI : Phillips; Bakare, Denham, Nelson (Jones 61); Semenyo, D'Almeida, Jefferies, Leahy, T. Davies; Crole (Ligendza 69), Collins.
Subs : Luthra, Kenniford, Wigley.
Youngster undergoes surgery
Cardiff City midfielder Ryan Kavanagh has undergone surgery on his ACL, an injury which is likely to keep him sidelined for months.
The 18-year-old, who has featured eight times for the under-23s this season and has scored one goal, underwent an operation at the Vale Hospital near the club's training HQ after suffering the nasty injury. Kavanagh, who will miss the rest of the current campaign, wrote on Instagram: "Operation went well. On the road to recovery. Thank you for all the messages guys."
Kavanagh's agency, Cobalt Sport Management, wrote on Instagram: "Wishing @ryankav8 a speedy recovery after his successful ACL operation this morning. Football is a game full of massive high’s and incredible lows. It is vital to support your clients through all moments of their careers. Both positive and negative with everything in between.
"The whole team is looking forward to an even better comeback."
