Here are your Cardiff City transfer headlines for Wednesday, June 8.
Bale would 'prefer' staying in Madrid - claim
Gareth Bale would prefer to stay in Madrid, Getafe club president Angel Torres has claimed.
Earlier on Wednesday the Getafe chief said he had been in contact with Bale's representatives, who had sounded out the La Liga club over a potential move for the Wales captain.
However, in fuller quotes transcribed by Cadena Ser, Torres insisted he had been told of Bale's desire to stay in Madrid, something which, if true, would be a blow of Cardiff's hopes of signing the forward.
“Someone can take it as a joke, but it will be 45 or 50 minutes since I spoke with their representative and they have offered it to us. It is not an invention,” he said.
“I have found out what his reasons are for wanting to stay (in Madrid) and why at Getafe. I have to think about it and talk to the coach.
"I don't know if he's coming. Every good footballer is a possibility. They have offered it to me, I have kindly listened and anything is possible."
Cadena Ser also claimed that Bale's representatives had confirmed to them that talks had taken place with Madrid-based club Getafe.
Sheffield Wednesday make contact over Will Vaulks
Sheffield Wednesday have made initial contact over the signing of Will Vaulks, WalesOnline understands.
We reported last week that Rotherham United are not an option at present owing to the player's wage demands, however the Owls appear to be better positioned to accommodate the Wales international in that regard.
It is understood that Vaulks has several offers, some of which are in the Championship, and would ideally like to be playing his football in the second tier next season.
He does, though, have an appreciation for the size and history of Wednesday and that could possibly be a determining factor should he decide the League One club is the right place for him.
Cardiff have not yet released their retained list, however it is understood Vaulks has not been offered a new contract by the club.
O'Dowda joins Bluebirds
Cardiff City have completed their fifth signing of the summer with the capture of Callum O'Dowda on a three-year deal.
The winger joins on a free transfer after being released by Bristol City following six years with the Ashton Gate club. The 27-year-old has been a target for Steve Morison throughout the summer, with the manager wanting to add wing options which were so desperately lacking last season. With the capture of O'Dowda, and Ollie Tanner, he is starting to make inroads on that front.
While Cardiff had made headway early on in the window, they have been implored to add some Championship experience to their squad, having so far recruited from elsewhere. O'Dowda brings that in abundance, having notched up 160 Championship games already.
“I’m delighted. It’s been a long process, from meeting the gaffer and going around the training ground, to actually putting pen to paper," the Irishman said.
“The intent and the passion the manager showed, and also the business that the club has been doing in the transfer window, was something that I want to be part of.
“I’m at a stage in my career where I’m hungry, I want to achieve as much as I can, and I feel as though I could be hitting my prime now. So, it’s all about kicking on with the right team, the right manager and a fantastic club."
O'Dowda joins Tanner, Ebou Adams, Jak Alnwick and Jamilu Collins as the summer recruits so far, with the Bluebirds' rebuild job now very much underway.
Doyle: I have to be playing next season
Tommy Doyle has hinted at going out on loan next season as he insisted his No.1 priority was to be "playing minutes".
The Manchester City youth product is desperate to burst into Pep Guardiola's side, but understands it will be a tough ask given the calibre of player the Premier League champions currently have at their disposal.
But there is no denying that City certainly have a talented youngster on their hands. He impressed massively in a Cardiff shirt last term and the Bluebirds would have no qualms in taking him back for a full campaign this time around, should the option present itself to Steve Morison again.
And, speaking on Sky Sports about his future, Doyle said: "I think the main thing for me is playing football, I want to play as much as I can and hopefully in the future that gets me into the Man City team.
"Obviously I can’t look too far ahead, I have to focus on what’s happening now with England [U21s] then hopefully next season I can carry on playing minutes.
"The good thing is with City they do what’s right for you, they know me better than anybody else with the amount of time I’ve been there so that club is a massive place for me.
"Hopefully in the future that’s the place I want to be but I have to understand right now that I have to continue playing minutes, whether that’s elsewhere I’m not too sure yet we’ll see what happens."
Doyle was one of the standout performers for England's under-21s on Tuesday night as they beat Andorra 3-0.
Bamba: I had to leave the Cardiff WhatsApp group
Sol Bamba has offered insight into the process of leaving a football club and the bits behind the scenes that fans don't necessarily see.
Opening up on the dynamic of wanting to still be involved with your friends, with whom you've trained alongside every day for years, and wanting a clean break, he told The Athletic : "In terms of leaving a club and leaving the WhatsApp group, you have to do it. It’s a tricky one and it can be sad.
"With Cardiff, I was there for five years and they were like, ‘You’re not leaving (the players’ group)’. But you have to — it’s the dressing room, and if you’re not involved, you don’t want to be there.”
Speaking about the connection with the clubs, he added: “We do get attached. People think we don’t care: we come in, we take our wages and we move club to club. But we get attached to the club that we’re playing for because the people behind the scenes, (and) the fans, are massive for us. And when we leave, we want to leave on good terms.”
After leaving Middlesbrough, quite what the future holds for Bamba is not yet certain, but he explained the thought process behind what will eventually come next.
“My children are 15 and 11, they’re very strong that they don’t want to move school,” Bamba said. “When they were younger, it was easier to deal with it. But I think it’s important as well, especially at my age and my stage of my career now, to be considerate of that because if I do the move just for me and the kids won’t be happy, it’s going to affect my football and the way I train because I know it’s not a happy home.
“So whatever I do now, I sit the family down and say, ‘I’ve got the opportunity to go there and there. What do you think?’. And we make a decision all together.”
Denham omitted from tonight's Wales squad
Oliver Denham is one of five players who have been omitted from the Wales squad which will take on the Netherlands at Cardiff City Stadium tonight.
Bluebirds duo Rubin Colwill and Mark Harris have been given squad numbers, though, and City fans will be hopeful of seeing them get some game time in the Nations League clash. Neco Williams, Joe Allen, Kieffer Moore and Aaron Ramsey join Denham in the official squad listing on the UEFA website for the fixture.
Meanwhile, Bluebirds youngster Morgan Wigley, who played many games for Darren Purse's under-23s last season, was on the scoresheet for Wales under-18s last night. The young Welsh side beat their Croatian counterparts 4-2 in Zagreb on Tuesday evening. They play England on Friday.
Pack would be 'very good signing' for Pompey
Former Portsmouth player Gary O'Neil believes Marlon Pack would be a "very good signing" for the League One side.
WalesOnline revealed last week that Pack's camp have held talks with Pompey, Bristol City and Shrewsbury Town. However, interest from the Robins appears to have cooled slightly since then.
Portsmouth was where it all started for Pack and that sentimentality might play a part in his decision-making. And O'Neil, who is now a coach at Bournemouth, thinks the 31-year-old still operates at a high level and would be an asset for Danny Cowley.
"I think it would be a very good signing for the club," O'Neil told The News in Portsmouth. "I saw Marlon play last year against us at AFC Bournemouth and he’s still a very good player and at a very good level.
"So if Pompey can add someone of Marlon’s quality then I’m sure it would be a very big benefit to the club. He’s a great lad as well because you know what you’re going to get from him attitude and application-wise. He’s a good lad to have around and I think it would be a really good addition if the club can pull it off.
"Whenever I watched him play last year in the Championship, he was by no means out of his depth and still a very good footballer. Being 31 years old is no age at all. He’s still mobile enough and has good legs. He’s an incredible player, he’s good on the ball which means he’s not reliant on his athleticism and never really has been. I’m sure he’s got plenty of good years still ahead of him."
Pack is out of contract at the end of this month and has announced on his own social media channels that he will leave the club.
