Here are your Cardiff City headlines for Thursday, April 14.
Cardiff option 'getting stronger' for Bale
A fresh Spanish report in reputed outlet Diario Sport claims the option of Gareth Bale moving to Cardiff City this summer is "getting stronger".
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.
READ MORE: Who Gareth Bale should join this summer and where he'll likely end up
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 massive wage cut to sign for the Bluebirds and it all seems a little far-fetched still at this stage. However, Diario Sport claim Cardiff is becoming an increasingly viable option as the weeks tick by.
"There are several teams," they write. "Those who do it with more force are Cardiff City - his childhood team- Tottenham - where he stood out and, in addition, he was on loan the next year - or even AC Milan, Newcastle, Rangers or any MLS team.
"The one that gains the most strength is Cardiff, a return to the origins to close the circle before the World Cup and hang up the boots. Hanging up the boots prematurely is still an option, it will all depend on the role of Wales."
Morison quizzed on Jak Alnwick
Steve Morison has said Cardiff City have had "conversations with lots of people" but wouldn't be drawn on whether there was concrete interest in goalkeeper Jak Alnwick.
Morison revealed on Thursday that first-choice keeper Alex Smithies would leave the club this summer and has played his final game for the Bluebirds, with wages and the player's desire to move closer to his Yorkshire home playing their part in the decision.
And recent reports have linked Cardiff with St Mirren stopper Alnwick. However, when asked about Cardiff's interest in the 28-year-old, who counts Rangers and Newcastle United among his former clubs, Morison remained tight-lipped.
"We are going to be linked to loads of people, because we have got loads of people out of contract," the Bluebirds boss said. "I've seen stories about loads of strikers we are interested in apparently!
"We have had conversations with lots of people, but I'm not going to talk about anyone who is currently at another football club, that's not right."
Dillon Phillips will remain No. 1 until the end of the season, while Rohan Luthra got his first spot on the bench at Reading last weekend. George Ratcliffe, the Wales under-21 goalkeeper, is currently out injured.
Top Championship clubs sounding out Cardiff over duo
Morison has revealed he has already fielded phone calls from top-end Championship managers who are sounding him out over on-loan stars Tommy Doyle and Cody Drameh.
Local press up in Manchester have reported that City are ready to allow Doyle to head back out on loan for a full Championship campaign next term. They did caveat, however, that Doyle would perhaps be targeting a team higher up the league than Cardiff, who are on course for a bottom-half finish this term.
And Morison understands the reality of the situation. He expects teams with more finances and who are better equipped for a promotion bid next term to be interested in Doyle as well as Drameh. Indeed, he knows that for a fact, given the calls he has already been taking.
"He is one who can go out on loan again next season, I think he needs it," Morison told WalesOnline when asked about the Doyle reports. "A full season would be great. Yeah, if we are in that market and we are someone he would want to come to then we would be open to that.
"Unfortunately, they have come on loan to us, him and Cody, for example, and done so well, no doubt people will be looking at the other end of the table to us. They will be looking and thinking, 'Imagine what they could be doing in our team!'
"You look at both of them, I've had phone calls from managers higher up the table on both of them players, asking what they are like as characters etc. They know where I stand on it all, those football clubs (Man City and Leeds United). If Tommy, Cody, whoever it was, wanted to pick the phone up and say, 'Look, we want to come to you next season on loan', I will make that happen.
"But I'm also a realist and understand that some people, we just can't compete with."
