While clearly the overarching feeling will be one of disappointment for Cardiff City fans, Gareth Bale signing for Los Angeles FC on Saturday finally means a line can now thankfully be drawn under the whole saga.
The improbable signing of Bale would have, of course, represented a huge boon for the Bluebirds. Talks were held, offers were put forward, friends and managers believed a move to the Welsh capital would work and "tick boxes", but ultimately it was down to the Wales captain to decide where his future lay. That, for the next year at least, will be in California.
The silver lining here is that Cardiff fans can now move on and concentrate on what is actually going on at the club. We were told for months the Bluebirds were planning their recruitment based on not having Bale sign for them and that is exactly what they have done. Cardiff were never going to be built around Bale next season, but around a core of young, hungry players and new signings from here, there and everywhere.
READ MORE: Earnshaw delivers Gareth Bale verdict
The Bale news should not sully the two other very important and extremely positive bits of business Cardiff conducted over the last two days. Andy Rinomhota's signing from Reading should not go under the radar. Royals fans are extremely disappointed to see their 2019 player of the season leave and, at 25, Cardiff will be getting a player not yet in his prime and with lots to offer.
And then there is the best news of the summer for many City supporters, with fans' favourite Joe Ralls signing a two-year contract extension, which will take his time at the club to 14 years upon completion. “We're going into a new era, with new players, and it is something I'm really excited about," Ralls said on Saturday. "I'm looking forward to getting my head down now and focusing on having a good season with Cardiff City.”
The whole Bale saga, while gripping, was always caveated with ifs, buts and maybes. Now it is over, it's time to turn attentions to what is actually happening and what has already happened. Cardiff have signed nine new players and tied down one of their most important midfielders for another two years.
Their midfield stable now looks miles apart from the one they had last year, it is one packed with energy and points of difference. Ralls, Rinomhota, Ebou Adams and Ryan Wintle offer real competition for places and it's encouraging to see that area of the squad, which has needed addressing for some time, finally get the shake-up it has needed.
There is serious competition for the No.1 shirt, while Joel Bagan and Jamilu Collins will battle on the left and Mahlon Romeo and Vontae Daley-Campbell are vying for one spot on the right of the defence. Cardiff have also freshened up on the wings, another area which needed surgery, with the additions of the experienced Callum O'Dowda and the raw but exciting Ollie Tanner, who insiders claim can "be anything he wants to be". Tanner has also already impressed Perry Ng in the first few days of pre-season training, which you can read about here.
There is still a bit of a leap of faith needed from Cardiff fans. Players like Daley-Campbell, Jamilu Collins, Adams, Jak Alnwick and Tanner will be unknown quantities for the lay Bluebirds fan. Whether they are up to the task remains to be seen, but the recruitment department have been busy and decisive and have architected one of the most exciting summers in some time as far as Cardiff are concerned.
One supporter on social media summed the whole thing up rather well. He said there were going to be two ways of drumming up excitement and enthusiasm for the club this season; the signing of Gareth Bale or the backing of Steve Morison's project aiming to change the culture and playing style of a club with huge potential but needing to evolve to start troubling the top of the table again.
Next year will no doubt be a transitional year, too, with the bedding in of new philosophies as well as new signings, but it is a change of direction which was certainly needed and one, it seems, which has been universally welcomed by Cardiff fans, even if there is an element of the unknown as we prepare to witness Morison's first full campaign in charge.
There are still areas which need bolstering. Another centre-back or two is on the agenda - Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite has been linked with the club this weekend - while another couple of strikers wouldn't go amiss. There will be outgoings, too, to make room for such additions. Gavin Whyte, Tom Sang and James Collins are all candidates to potentially seek regular playing time elsewhere, while youngsters such as Eli King and Jai Semenyo will likely be open to loan moves away to gain more senior experience.
The Bale saga is all wrapped up now, put away neatly in a drawer for some time. Chairman Mehmet Dalman made it clear when speaking to WalesOnline that he would always be welcome at his hometown club whenever Bale decides that might be. If indeed he ever does decide that is what he wants.
In the meantime, though, a lot of positive changes are being implemented at Cardiff and that shouldn't slip under the radar. Even it it doesn't translate into immediate on-field success, this big overhaul will help to ensure the sustainability of the club going forward. Lowering wages, updating their playing style and harvesting the best crops in the academy to supplement the first team and potentially add transfer value at a later date, as we saw with the sale of James Connolly on Friday night.
It's a new-look Cardiff from top to bottom and the air of the unknown only adds to the excitement heading into the season. Nine signings, two more years of Joe Ralls and a big, much-needed clear-out can be viewed as a big positive. There will be more input expected from exciting prospects Rubin Colwill, Isaak Davies, Max Watters, Oliver Denham and Joel Bagan this season, too, all of whom have more Championship experience under their belts after last year.
A couple more additions, perhaps some real quality from the Premier League through the loan market, and who knows what might happen this season. It's one heck of a ride this summer, either way.
Read more:
- Cardiff City issue classy message to Gareth Bale after LA move
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How the Championship table is now expected to finish for Cardiff
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Gareth Bale agrees to join Los Angeles FC in crushing blow to Cardiff City
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Cardiff City star Joe Ralls signs new deal as club announce 'huge' decision
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