With Cardiff City's finances well and truly under the microscope and a transfer embargo looming, what are the club's next steps?
That is all being figured out behind the scenes, with the club thought to be "confident" of overturning the embargo ruling and planning for January to be business as usual.
But whether they are able to operate freely in the market next month or under strict rules owing to the embargo remains to be seen. So, with that in mind, what assets do the club actually have in the building?
Occasionally taking a look at Cardiff players' market values provokes plenty of intrigue and it is perhaps now more pertinent than ever.
According to reputed football database website Transfermarkt, The Bluebirds' current squad has a value of £32.82m. That is discounting the three players - Jaden Philogene, Niels Nkounkou and Cedric Kipre - who they have on loan, but does include the four club-owned players - Mark McGuinness, Dillon Phillips, Kieron Evans and Chanka Zimba - Cardiff currently have out on loan. Eli King is not assigned a transfer value as yet.
Cardiff's highest-valued player is Callum Robinson, who is believed to be worth £4.36m. Considering City nabbed him for just £1.5m from West Brom in the summer, that represents good value for money and he is already showing it on the pitch with nine goal involvements in his last 12 games.
The other player Cardiff signed for a fee in the summer was Kion Etete from Tottenham. The Bluebirds forked out £500,000 and it is thought he should fetch £786,000 if he was sold today. Not a huge profit, but every little helps in this climate.
The biggest mover and the best investment comes from a Mick McCarthy recruit. Ryan Wintle was signed on a free transfer after his contract at Crewe ran out, with his market value at the time just £300,000. Now, he is worth almost 10 times that at £2.62m and is City's second most valuable asset.
Cardiff's free transfers in the summer also rank highly, with Callum O'Dowda (£2.18m), Andy Rinomhota (£2.18m), Sheyi Ojo (£1.75m), Mahlon Romeo (£1.75m) and Romaine Sawyers (£1.05m) all believed to be million-pound players.
Homegrown youngsters Rubin Colwill (£1.31m), Mark Harris (£870,000) and Isaak Davies (£870,000) would all fetch healthy sums if they were to be moved on, too. The latter, of course, was the subject of a £2.5m transfer bid from Burnley in the summer.
Take a look at the full list of players below...
Cardiff City players' market value
Callum Robinson £4.36m
Ryan Wintle £2.62m
Callum O'Dowda £2.18m
Perry Ng £2.18m
Andy Rinomhota £2.18m
Niels Nkounkou £2.18m (On loan)
Jaden Philogene £2.18m (On loan)
Curtis Nelson £1.75m
Sheyi Ojo £1.75m
Mahlon Romeo £1.75m
Joe Ralls £1.57m
Cédric Kipré £1.31m (On loan)
Rubin Colwill £1.31m
Romaine Sawyers £1.05m
Jamilu Collins £870,000
Mark Harris £870,000
Isaak Davies £870,000
Ryan Allsop £786,000
Kion Etete £786,000
Jack Simpson £698,000
Vontae Campbell £698,000
Gavin Whyte £524,000
Joel Bagan £524,000
Jak Alnwick £349,000
Max Watters £349,000
Tom Sang £262,000
Ebou Adams £175,000
Oliver Denham £175,000
Ollie Tanner £87,000
Players on loan...
Mark McGuinness £1.05m
Dillon Phillips £698,000
Kieron Evans £175,000
Chanka Zimba £44,000
Eli King N/A
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