Peter Whittingham to hold talks with Cardiff next week

Great player. Hope he stays.

The way Whitts has applied himself to a harder physical role this season especially increased defensive duties has been remarkable. The team still needs to be built around him - a complete class act. Don't go anywhere Pete.

Will Peter Whittingham leave Cardiff City?
By Scott Johnson
Is this the end for Peter Whittingham at Cardiff?

Was a 3-0 Bank Holiday surrender against West Ham Peter Whittingham's final game in a Cardiff City shirt?

It goes without saying that I hope to see him lead next season's promotion charge, but I have my doubts that he will still be at the club. There has been a bizarre lack of interest in recent seasons, but confirmed as the best player outside the Premier League by FourFourTwo magazine, he now boasts a prestigious accolade that will surely attract top-tier interest.



Cardiff's reigning player of the year has a long term contract and appears content at the club, he will also be well aware that the grass is not always greener after struggling for games at Aston Villa.

Interest from West Ham was dismissed in January, but you wonder if they were to be promoted and return with another significant offer in the summer, whether or not the answer would be the same.

Whittingham has played every minute of every league game and also featured heavily in Cardiff's Carling Cup campaign. He is clearly instrumental in Malky Mackay's plans and his form suffered in the second half of the season, as fatigue began to take its toll.

The accusation is that when Whittingham struggles, so do Cardiff, their loss of form during this period would appear to support this theory.

Cardiff do appear to have an unhealthy reliance on Whittingham's creative inspiration and if he is to remain at the club, the burden must be shared next season if Cardiff are to maintain a credible challenge throughout an entire campaign.

Up there with Kevin McNaughton and Stephen McPhail as one of Cardiff's longest serving players, no one would begrudge or deny Whittingham a return to the Premier League and he may be running out of time if he is to do so while still in his prime.

Mark Hudson recently spoke out with regards to his desire to see Whittingham retained by Cardiff, revealing: "You want to keep your quality players and Pete over the season has been fantastic again." Hudson added: "I couldn't rave about him enough, he always works hard and he never misses a game. If you look at how many games he's played this season he's always been there, trying his best, working as hard as he can for the cause. You do need to keep hold of those sort of players, but we'll see, we're trying to keep everyone together."

As things stand, nobody knows what the immediate future holds, whether or not funds will be made available, or even what colour Cardiff will wear next season. Despite this uncertainty, a need to add to the existing squad, rather than weaken it further, remains.

There is no way to predict how the board, Malky Mackay or Peter Whittingham would react to a significant Premier League bid, but I think we are about to find out as interest is surely inevitable.

As much as it pains me and I hope I'm wrong, my feeling is that his departure may be inevitable too.

I agree with dorsetblue. Quality player that goes missing when the chips are down. Don't get me wrong fantastic servant for the club and I love watching him when in top form. If a premier club comes looking and the price is right let him go and bring in 3or 3 work horses who'll battle for the ball which is what we've been missing. I would not sell him to another team in our league though if he has two years left let him work for us.

Are you all serious? Theres a reason why clubs that are in the premiership want him! Easily the best player at the club and guaranteed to get double figures every season as well as getting assists! Theres a reason why he was voted 2nd best player in the league last year, you guys are mental if you want to sell him!

Most sensible post yet.

At a point when were as a club expecting/hoping to kick on and mount a charge for premiership football via some serious backing...........WHY would the board even contemplate letting there most creative player leave after extending his contract recently ...................Personally i think it "paper talk"

........Only way it could see it happen is if the malasian dont invest any further and malky has to make his own funds

I honestly would sell him, just my opinion.

Agreed. Been great for us but we have relied on him too much. I thought he'd had one of his poorest seasons for us. Still don't know why Jones and then Malky play him in a deeper central role when his best seasons were on the wing. Yes his all round game 'may' be better but his attacking force has been disrupted.

Also, if I'm honest he deserves a chance in the Premier

I'm a bit torn on this issue. He started this season great, but towards the end his form took a nosedive and he had some real sloppy games. If a prem team came in with a big bid... ehh maybe. Glad I don't have to make these decisions

Can't expect him to stay in the Championship when he is capable at playing at a higher level. He has been loyal to City and deserves his chance elsewhere. Replacing him with someone who can score and create goals is the problem.

Our only player in the PFA team this year, but hey what do his fellow professionals know ?

If we sell him, who on earth is going to create and score our goals. We pose little enough threat as it is.

We'd be very lucky to get such a player for £3m.

More like £5m Tim, he's our talisman.

Can't believe people would happily see him go.

I started the "he does what he wants" song so he can't go I was so proud when 3000 thousand City fans was singing that at Palarce in the play offs
But he does go missing at times. He can then become a luxury player, but at this level we can't replace him so I really hope he stays, he can change a game in an instant

the only way Peter Whittingham should leave the club is if Peter Whittingham wants to leave the club
if Pete wants to fancy his chances in the Prem with a different club (Not Swansea lol) I say all the best and thank you for your contribution to our history.
but that does not mean that Cardiff should not do everything in their power to keep him

though I do sincerely hope Pete stays at the club. fingers crossed he does

part of the reason i think for the dip in form was his position on the pitch,he was not strong enough to play that deep and found himself without enough time to play the ball,but if he goes...good luck to him

He is our luxury player and out of all our players he played every minute of the league season. We can't flog him to death next season then some moan he fades in the second half.

I think Malky will set up 433 at home next season with serious pace out wide, this will open up the middle for him again. Malky needs to leave him home sometimes next season when its going to be an away battle up north and save him for the business end.

If the Malaysians are in the process of just treading water, weighing up future options to sell and recover partial investment he along with others will go.... If prem football then no one can blame him in view of recent events, but if to a rival club well...
It was muted that following recent events, players would go and few would come in .... and those that did only to keep the ship afloat - that's why the next statement by the Malaysians is so important - I personally hope they re consider and remain committed to club in the way they had visioned - not to just tread water until they depart.
It's also been suggested, Whits is moving to London with his girlfriend... If true then he's gone and if he does, then card hardball by the Malaysians has publicly begun, because the sale will be in direct contradiction to the open future direction that Malky has stated, with Whits being central to those ambitious plans...

Madness to sell Whitts unless he wants to go then and only then would i consider selling him with a minimum price tag of 5m but where do you replace the goals and assists he provided last season

Without Whitts we would have been mid table at best and i want to see him stay and the squad strengthened but that's all down to VT and what he decides to do

I would let him go to be honest.

Madness to sell Whitts unless he wants to go then and only then would i consider selling him with a minimum price tag of 5m but where do you replace the goals and assists he provided last season

Without Whitts we would have been mid table at best and i want to see him stay and the squad strengthened but that's all down to VT and what he decides to do

Is all depends on how we set up next season. If we have Matt Philips, Mason and Noone in a 433 up front, we may need to sacrifice Whitts for Gunner, Cowie and Kiss holding, who would moan.

PS I am not suggesting we will have those players just that type- direct and fast.

Although with tackling all but outlawed nowadays, Whitts fits in perfectly.

He goes missing because the opposition are quality and his fellow players can't handle it. Bit rude to say he goes missing in the big games he got an assists in 2010 at Wembley Fa Cup quarter Final a goal and assist, Leicester play-offs goal there and a pen, Liverpool assist in the dying moments, people don't appreciate the quality of that ball. Reading last year in the play-offs he was our only good performer in the 2 legs...

We really want to sell the player who's single handedly won us/ kept us so many points with cracking deliveries, goals(e.e palace away , reading away coventry home etc etc)?

I think that's relegation talk, who's saying we'll replace him with equal/better, because if we don't we'd be firmly mid-table.

Can't believe us as fans are actually saying this, have some of your forgotten the moments he's given us e.e Turner at Wembleyt, Leicester away. Just seeing his quality or at least trying in a team full of hoofballers is a breath of fresh air. I for one pray we don't sell him, could be a big big mistake, I'd like him here for the rest of his career if he produces the beauty I've seen from him.

He's the only midfielder to have played 50 games this season, every minute. He hasn't got a reputation of being a 'don cowie' as much tiredness is an 'excuse' it really does take it's toll. So a few performances 'missing' and the fans want out. Ridiculous.

Get more strength and depth in the midfield so we can afford to give him a break ffs.

I think its fairly obvious.....If the investment goes ahead and MM has a good budget where we can push for promo, he will stay......if not, he will go

If Bellamy comes back it could influence Whitts to stay

I think its fairly obvious.....If the investment goes ahead and MM has a good budget where we can push for promo, he will stay......if not, he will go

Agree.

Whitts himself has stated numerous times that he is fine to stay. From what I've heard I think he loves it here!

Who's to say that the owners want to offer him a better contract to stay with Cardiff for the rest of his career. I for one would like to see him stay and I believe he's important to Malky's plans for us to push for another promotion charge next season.