Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Wales Online
Wales Online
Sport
Tom Coleman

The out-of-contract players Cardiff City and Swansea City could sign right now

The January window is behind us, but there are still opportunities for clubs to do business, including Cardiff City and Swansea City.

Both sides made five acquisitions last month in what was a busy window in south Wales.

But could there yet be any potential for further arrivals?

Free transfers, on the whole, are rare at this point of the season, but there are still a number of well-known players looking for clubs as we head into the second half of the current campaign.

Both teams could still do with strengthening; Swansea's squad is threadbare thin in certain areas, while the Bluebirds won't have skipper Sean Morrison for the rest of the season and Alfie Doughty for the next six weeks or so through injury.

Here's a quick look at some of the realistic options who are still available.

Winston Reid

The former West Ham captain has 166 Premier League appearances and 26 caps to his name, but he has so far been unsuccessful in finding himself a new club, after being released by the Hammers in September.

Reid recently spent loan spells with Kansas City and Brentford, turning out 11 times for the latter as they were promoted to the Premier League for the first time.

With so much experience and pedigree, he'd surely be an attractive option, although one suspects wages would be a key issue.

Josh Sims

Was recently linked with Hull City, Sims has been without a club since leaving Southampton in the summer.

The wideman was last in action for Doncaster Rovers in League One, and has previously been on loan at Reading and New York Red Bulls.

At the age of 24, one would think that the winger still has his best years ahead of him.

Former Bluebirds boss Malky Mackay is seemingly a fan, with reports in Scotland suggesting he is keen to him to Ross County, but other options may soon emerge.

Neither Cardiff nor Swansea really play a system capable of accommodating with an out-and-out winger, but that's not to say he wouldn't be a tempting prospect should the right deal be on the table.

John Obi Mikel

A name that needs no introduction.

The Nigerian has enjoyed a glittering career, winning two Premier League titles, a Champions League and Europa League.

He's also picked up a AFCON winners medal with his country.

However, his club career has stalled in his advancing years, with his last appearance in England being a one-year stint at Stoke City, where he proved a key man under Michael O'Neill.

Stoke exercised their option to extend his deal by a further year at the end of the season, but he departed by mutual consent, joining Kuwait SC later in the summer.

His time in the Gulf doesn't seem to have gone to plan, and the 34-year-old is now back on the market.

Given his superb form for the Potters, it's clear he has something to offer at this level.

Wages would no doubt be a stumbling block for both the Swans and the Bluebirds, mind.

Branislav Ivanovic

Another former Chelsea star, the Serb has a similarly impressive CV, but hasn't yet managed to find a club since being released by Championship side West Bromwich Albion at the end of last season.

Ivanovic made 13 appearances for the Baggies as they were relegated from the Premier League, and his next move appears uncertain.

Wages would likely be a big stumbling block to any move across the Severn, but both Cardiff and Swansea's defences would surely benefit from his wealth of experience.

Whether he would fancy scrapping it out towards the wrong end of the Championship is another question.

Ahmed Elmohamady

The 34-year-old has been without a club since his release by Aston Villa last summer, and is approaching the twilight years of his career.

It perhaps wouldn't be a surprise to see him once again link up with new West Brom boss Steve Bruce, whom he's worked under at three different clubs.

Both Cardiff and Swansea recruited right-backs in this window, so it would be a slight surprise to see him end up in south Wales, although his experience at this level can't be discounted.

Jack Wilshere

The former Arsenal midfielder has just come through his second consecutive transfer window as a free agent.

At the age of 30, he clearly believes he still has a few years left in the tank, and has been keeping himself fit by training with the Gunners in recent weeks.

A return to Mikel Arteta's side has already been dismissed, while West Brom are one of the most recent sides to be linked.

Speaking about his next move, the Englishman told talkSPORT: "I'm talking to a few different clubs but not in the Premier League or England."

But this one no doubt goes against Swansea's current model of hiring young players who can be developed into assets.

Hal Robson-Kanu

The man behind one of the most iconic goals in the history of Welsh football has been unattached since leaving West Brom in the summer.

During West Brom's promotion season in 2019/20, the Welshman netted 10 goals, and has proven himself to be a physical presence in the final third at this level.

A move to the capital is highly unlikely given they already have six strikers in the building, but should Swansea be in need of a short-term solution to strengthen their attacking options, they could do a heck of a lot worse.

Lee Tomlin

Could it really happen?

Neither a reunion at Cardiff nor a shock move to Swansea seem likely, but stranger things have happened.

The mercurial forward certainly doesn't seem ready to hang up his boots just yet.

Followers of the player's Instagram will know just how hard he's been working on his fitness recently, but there doesn't appear to be anything imminent in terms of a next move at this stage.

List in full

Goalkeepers

Abdoulaye Diallo

Keiren Westwood

Defenders

Andre Wisdom

Branislav Ivanovic

Shaun Cummings

Martin Cranie

Brandon Mason

Winston Reid

Ahmed Elmohamady

Marc Navarro

Oskar Buur

Midfielders

Jack Wilshere

Josh Sims

Henri Saivet

Eunan O'Kane

John Obi Mikel

Mo Diame

Attackers

Hal Robson-Kanu

Yaya Sanogo

Oumar Niasse

Lee Tomlin

David Nugent

Jerome Sinclair

For the latest Cardiff City and Swansea City news and analysis delivered straight to your inbox, you can sign up for our newsletter here.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.