Here are your Cardiff City transfer headlines for Monday, June 6.
Bluebirds step up Bale pursuit
Cardiff City's efforts to sign Gareth Bale have stepped up in earnest over the last few hours with chairman Mehmet Dalman preparing to head up the negotiations for a deal to sign the Wales captain.
The prospect of signing the Welsh talisman took a giant leap forward after Wales secured their place at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar on Sunday night. Reports from the BBC on Monday that Dalman has decided to fly back into the UK to lead the talks have been confirmed to WalesOnline.
READ MORE : The angle that proves Gareth Bale should have been awarded the goal that sent Wales to the World Cup
The Bluebirds have been waiting patiently for Wales' World Cup play-off final match against Ukraine, holding the belief that if Rob Page's side does qualify for the November tournament, it puts them in a good place to secure Bale's signature.
Bale himself said that the outcome of that Wales-Ukraine match would be significant in deciding his future, stating before Sunday's clash: "I'll decide [my future] after the game. There is a lot of ifs and buts, but I think we need to see what happens and [the result] is the key to everything."
Well it is now understood Cardiff have seen that result at Cardiff City Stadium on Sunday night as a tentative green light to press ahead with their attempts to thrash out a deal to sign the Wales captain, 32. Read the full story here.
Hartson: Hometown factor might sway Bale to sign for Cardiff
Wales legend John Hartson believes that returning to his hometown might just be the factor that convinces Bale to sign for Cardiff City.
There is certainly a sentimental pull for the forward, who has never played for his hometown club after being picked up by Southampton at the age of nine before moving on to Tottenham and then Real Madrid. His family still live in the area, too, and he has many business interests in the Welsh capital.
All those factors, as well as him having a young family and likely wanting to
"I would imagine he will have lots of offers. He will want to keep himself sharp and involved playing.
"There have been rumours that he might play for his hometown club, Cardiff City, in the Championship. I would imagine that might just sway him possibly, because of his love for Wales and Cardiff, his home town, his family, his parents are still there.
"So, my guess is as good as yours. He'll have many options, he can still perform at the highest level."
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Page: Bale needs a club where he will enjoy football
Rob Page has weighed in on Gareth Bale's next move, too, saying he will have to join a club which will allow him to enjoy his football.
Page has previously said that a switch to his hometown club, Cardiff City, "ticks all the boxes" for Bale. And he has now added to that by saying whichever club he joins will have a plan built into it in order to give Bale the best chance at leading Wales at the World Cup later this year.
"He has been magnificent for us and we are so pleased that he is going to find a club now and be with us in Qatar," Page said on Sky Sports on Monday afternoon.
"He will want to go somewhere where he is playing, enjoying his football and he knows he has one eye on the World Cup and it'll be [part of] one plan to lead us out there."
McGuinness says he improves 'every game' at Cardiff
Mark McGuinness has lifted the lid on life as a Championship footballer, believing he is improving with each passing game in a Cardiff City shirt.
He found himself behind Sean Morrison, Aden Flint and Curtis Nelson at the start of the campaign, but soon became a mainstay in his maiden Championship campaign and gained plaudits for the manner in which he took to the second tier of English football.
Speaking while on Ireland under-21s duties, McGuinness is happy with how his first year in the Welsh capital has gone.
“Every game I feel like I improve,” he told PunditArena. “I played a lot of games in the Championship at a very good level. Even here it is a different sort of football and competition and players. Every game I feel like I am developing.
“It’s a great level. It’s relentless and I’ve got 35 games in the end, which was great for me. Great experience. And then I just tried to carry that forward and into these games. Every player here is playing at a good level playing men’s football, which is very important. We all know what it’s like and everyone is developing and playing at a good level of football.
“Once you get into the flow of things it’s alright. You adapt to the level, and you play against good players and teams. It’s tough, but it is what you want to be doing. There’s no complaint there."
There have been some who think McGuinness, 20, is not too far away from a senior Ireland call. But, typically mature in his response, he played down any notion of getting carried away or getting above his station.
“If I keep playing in the Championship and hopefully keep developing and performing, then who knows," he added. “But at the moment the focus is on these two games [against Montenegro and Italy]. They are massive for us and I would love to finish up with the U21s on a high.”
