The 12 Cardiff City players set to become free agents next year.
Cardiff City has struggled this season and are now at the bottom of the standings, having just won one game.
Despite signing a new contract in the summer, Erol Bulut was fired in September, and Omar Riza is now the club’s temporary manager as they look for a new manager to guide them out from the relegation zone and up the Championship table.
While getting off the bottom of the standings will be a top goal for whoever is chosen, another pressing problem will be resolving player contracts, with a number of key players poised to leave on a free transfer this summer unless anything changes.
The Bluebirds have 12 players that will leave in the summer. Here’s who they are.
Jak Alnwick
Goalkeeper Jak Alnwick is set to leave in the summer of 2025 after signing a new deal in September 2023, and it remains to be seen whether the 31-year-old has a future in the Welsh capital.
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Cardiff City should not be concerned about how possible new manager Ruben Selles would deal with Vincent Tan, given his experience at Reading.
He began the season as a backup to Ethan Horvath, but following Horvath’s rough start, he has taken over as the starter. He has made 40 appearances since joining the Bluebirds in 2022.
Jamilu Collins
Left-back Jamilu Collins joined the Bluebirds in the summer of 2022, and his stay in Cardiff hasn’t gone as planned.
He was forced out of the 2022/23 season after just four league games due to an ACL injury, and he has only appeared in two Championship games this season as he has dropped down the pecking order.
Collins has only played 43 games for Cardiff and may potentially depart in the summer or January.
Dimitrios Goutas
Erol Bulut signed Dimitrios Goutas in the summer of 2023, and he had a fantastic first season before being moved to the bench early this season due to the additions of Callum Chambers and Jasper Daland.
However, he has returned to the team under Riza, and Cardiff is now picking up points.
Bulut, who brought Goutas to the club, has left, therefore it’s unclear whether he’ll have a future in Wales after the summer of 2025.
Andre Rinomhota
Andy Rinomhota signed a three-year contract with the Bluebirds in the summer of 2022, and despite little playing time last season, he appears to have returned to the fold under Riza.
The former Reading player has played three games in a row, the same as he did for Cardiff last season, and may play a larger role this season. During his tenure in Wales, he has made 53 appearances for City across all competitions.
Joe Ralls
Cardiff great Joe Ralls’ contract expires at the end of the season, and it’s unclear whether this will be his final season in the Welsh capital.
This season, he has led the Bluebirds and is on track to reach 400 appearances. He presently has 393 games.
He signed a new one-year agreement in March until the summer of 2025, but it contains an additional year dependent on appearances, so it’ll be intriguing to see whether that level is crossed – having played seven times in the Championship thus far, you wouldn’t rule it out.
Aaron Ramsey
Aaron Ramsey made an emotional return to Cardiff in the summer of 2023, but his time there has been anything but successful.
He’s suffered with injuries and has only made 17 appearances so far, so it would be surprising if the club elected to renew his contract in the summer considering his age, injury history, and the expectation that he’ll be paid well.
Callum O’Dowda
Callum O’Dowda joined the Bluebirds in the summer of 2022, and despite some injury issues, he has been a good acquisition, with his flexibility proving particularly important.
This season, he has only missed one Championship game and has made 59 appearances for the club. Cardiff is likely to be interested in extending his contract.
Anwar El Ghazi
Anwar El Ghazi signed a one-year contract with Cardiff in the summer, and while it’s taken him some time to come back up to speed after a long absence from the field, he appears to be a fine addition for the club.
With seven appearances and an assist in the Bluebirds’ 4-1 loss to Hull City, the Dutchman is expected to contribute more in the future.
Yakou Meite
With only two goals in 44 games, it’s unlikely that many fans would be disappointed if he were permitted to depart the club this summer.
Callum Robinson
This is Callum Robinson’s third season at Cardiff City, and the Republic of Ireland international has returned to form following a tough second season under Erol Bulut.
| Callum Robinson’s senior career – Transfermarkt | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Club | Season(s) | P | G | A |
| Aston Villa | 2013-16 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Preston (Loan) | 2014-15 | 28 | 7 | 4 |
| Bristol City (Loan) | 2015 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Preston (Loan) | 2016 | 15 | 2 | 0 |
| Preston | 2016-19 | 117 | 32 | 17 |
| Sheffield United | 2019-20 | 19 | 2 | 1 |
| West Brom | 2020-22 | 95 | 17 | 12 |
| Cardiff City | 2022- | 55 | 12 | 8 |
He is the club’s leading goalscorer this season, with two goals, bringing his total to 12 in 55 games since his arrival in the summer of 2022. If he continues his great start to the season, there’s no reason he won’t sign a new contract in the Welsh capital.
Kion Etete.
Kion Etete is in his third season at Cardiff City, although he has yet to live up to expectations, scoring infrequently.
Due to injuries, the 22-year-old has not played this season and has only scored nine goals in 62 games for the club. His contract expires this summer, and a fresh start somewhere may be extremely beneficial.
Isaak Davies
Big things were anticipated of Isaak Davies following his loan time at KV Kortrijk last season, but he sustained an injury in pre-season, therefore he is yet to make his competitive debut this season.
The 23-year-old is seen as having a bright future at Cardiff City Stadium, and he’s someone they’ll be anxious to keep with his contract scheduled to expire at the conclusion of this season.
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