Here are your Cardiff City headlines for Wednesday, April 13.
Man City make Tommy Doyle loan decision
Manchester City will send Tommy Doyle out on loan again next season but will likely look for a top-end Championship team to further his progression, according to the MEN.
Doyle has been superb since arriving from the Premier League champions in January and has displayed immense technique and quality with impeccable consistency. He, along with the other January recruits, have had a big hand in steering the Bluebirds away from relegation.
Steve Morison has made no secret of the fact he would want Doyle back next season, but is fully aware there will be a clamour for the England Under-21 international's signature. And while it is positive news for Cardiff that Man City are looking to let him go again next term, it looks likely that he will be looking at teams further up the table.
READ MORE: Will Vaulks just showed the two big reasons why he is an asset to Cardiff City
Our sister title, the MEN, wrote: "Tommy Doyle is likely to stay in the Championship next season on loan. The tenacious midfielder has revitalised his campaign at Cardiff, although would be looking for a team likely to challenge for promotion."
Bale to Cardiff odds cut
Cardiff's odds of being Gareth Bale's next club have been cut from 6/1 to 6/4 on SkyBet.
The Bluebirds have now moved alongside Tottenham as joint-favourites to land the Wales star's signature following the expiration of his contract at Real Madrid in June.
Wales boss Rob Page has confirmed that Bale will indeed carry on playing domestic football if Wales win their World Cup play-off final match against either Scotland or Ukraine, which is due to be played at some point in June, however he is unsure whether he would want to "come home" to play or go elsewhere. You can read more about that here.
Bale is clearly a Cardiff supporter. He hails from Whitchurch, his uncle, Chris Pike, is a hero to Bluebirds of a certain generation, he admitted his support to Joe Rodon in a Spurs Q&A last year and he urged Steve Morison's side to beat Swansea City in the most recent South Wales derby.
Whether a move could be sanctioned, however, is heavily dependent on finances. He would have to take a gargantuan wage cut to sign for the Bluebirds and it all seems a little far-fetched still at this stage. But the bookmakers have him alongside his old club Spurs as favourites at the minute, so read into that what you will.
Gareth Bale next club odds
- Cardiff - 6/4
- Tottenham - 6/4
- Newcastle - 8/1
- Any MLS Club - 10/1
- Rangers - 16/1
- Southampton - 16/1
- AC Milan - 20/1
- Man United - 20/1
(Odds via SkyBet, correct at time of publication)
READ MORE: Who Gareth Bale should join this summer and where he'll likely end up
Morison: The sky is the limit as huge summer looms
Morison believes the "sky is the limit" for "huge club" Cardiff City but admits he will have to be bang on with his recruitment this summer if they are to make a good fist of challenging at the top of the table next term.
The Bluebirds started the season with aims on challenging the top six, having reached the play-offs two years before and falling narrowly short in the last campaign. After a solid start, City dropped off a cliff and lost eight games in a row as they plummeted down the table.
Now that their Championship status is mathematically guaranteed, Morison and Co can breathe a sigh of relief and be proud of the job they have done. But the work does not stop there, of course. Morison knows this season has been unacceptable, largely owing to the dreadful results before he was in charge, of course, and is looking forward to improving the team's fortunes next term. That all begins in the summer transfer window for Cardiff.
"There is a lot of change that needs to happen," Morison told Sky Sports. "Things are well under way with that. It'll be an exciting summer I hope and one I'm thoroughly looking forward to being a part of. Once the season finishes we'll be looking forward to pre-season next year, and getting going again.
"It's a huge football club and we need to be doing a lot better than we have done this year. That starts with us as staff, and also in the recruitment we do in the summer. We want to build to be the best version of ourselves next season, and aim as high as we can.
"If we can be consistent, and keep the points tally going that we've had since I've been here, then we could be in a nice position next year."
The ultimate aim is the Premier League, but it might be unrealistic to expect promotion next term, given the seismic transfer task ahead in the coming months. But Morison knows the Bluebirds have an incredibly high ceiling and is buoyed by the prospect of trying to achieve top-flight status as a manager, emulating his feat as a player.
"The club needs to be more sustainable and more manageable with a more consistent group," he added. "We need a more balanced squad in terms of age and athleticism. If we can do that it might change our fortunes.
"But the sky is the limit. There is no reason why you should put a target on something. I just want to be the best I can every day and see where it takes me.
"If that takes Cardiff to the Premier League then fantastic, because it means I've done something right and it means I'd have been here for a little bit of time - and that can be the problem with management.
"I'd like to have the time to be able to do what I'd like to do here."
