" How City pulled off the 'El Pitbull' deal. "
Mon Aug 12, 2013 5:52 am
Monday 13th August 2013.
Record Cardiff City signing Gary Medel has shackled Lionel Messi and played in frenzied Boca-River Plate derbies in Argentina.
So Malky Mackay insists the 26-year-old Chilean midfielder will have no problem settling into the high-octane environment of the Premier League – despite a disciplinary record which saw seven red cards in 90 Sevilla appearances.
The man dubbed ‘El Pitbul’ in Spain might have a put a few noses out of joint – possibly literally on some occasions – but he is set to become a Bluebirds cult hero after completing his £9.5m move from La Liga.
“A contact in Spain tipped me off about Gary some time ago and we have watched him many times,” said Cardiff boss Mackay.
“At the time he wasn’t available but our head of recruitment Iain Moody stayed up-to-date with the situation.
“That work we put in over a few months has paid off because, when it seemed Gary would become available, we were able to make an offer which was accepted.
“We are delighted to have secured Gary’s services. He is a tenacious and intelligent international midfield player.
“He has had two seasons of regular football in La Liga, has more than 50 caps for Chile and made three appearances at a World Cup.
“His experience will be an invaluable asset to our squad.
“Gary has played in a number of Boca-River Plate derbies in Argentina – one of the world’s biggest derby matches – and I’ve no doubt his background and pedigree will complement our midfield group in the Premier League.”
Read more: The dark side of 'El Pitbul'
Medel’s capture comes after Cardiff had missed out on their top midfield targets Victor Wanyama and Etienne Capoue.
Celtic star Wanyama headed to Southampton for £12m and Capoue is set to join Tottenham Hotspur from Toulouse in an £11m deal.
But Mackay said ahead of Saturday’s 2-1 win over Spanish side Athletic Bilbao that when one transfer door closes another one opens – and his back-up plan in landing Medel came off after Sevilla’s 3-1 win at Manchester United on Friday night.
Mackay was at Old Trafford for Rio Ferdinand’s Testimonial and the deal progressed quickly enough for Medel to take his seat in the Cardiff City directors’ box on Saturday.
Medel had a medical before the game and the deal was concluded at around 8pm.
He joined up with his country yesterday ahead of a friendly against Iraq in Denmark on Wednesday, before returning to a Cardiff squad boasting other new signings in the shape of Steven Caulker, John Brayford, Andreas Cornelius and Simon Moore.
Gallery: The hits, misses and maybes of Cardiff's summer transfer window
Done deal:Sevilla star Gary Medel is the midfield man Malky Mackay got in. Here he is in action for Chile
Done Deal: Steven Caulker represents a huge coup for the Bluebirds after becoming the club's record signing
Done Deal: Striker Andreas Cornelius signed for Cardiff City in what was a record £8.5m move: Pictures by Pete Thomas, Cardiff City FC
Done Deal: Derby County defender John Brayford was a long-term target of Malky Mackay's. He landed him in late July for £1.5m
Done Deal: Malky Mackay plucked young keeper Simon Moore from League One Brentford
No deal: Etienne Capoue has snubbed the Bluebirds and is set to join Spurs
Strong Rumour: Stephane Mbia has been lined up if Malky Mackay fails to land Etienne Capoue
Strong Rumour: Tom Huddlestone is also on Malky Mackay's list of holding midfielders
Strong Rumour: Reports linked Peter Odemwingie to Cardiff City and Swansea City earlier this summer. The Swans have no interest but the Cardiff rumours won't go away
Long shot: Real Madrid youngster Denis Cheryshev is the latest name to be linked to a loan move for Cardiff City
Unlikely: Mexican defender Hector Moreno is a player the Bluebirds are tracking
Unlikely: Joe Ledley has been linked with a return to Cardiff but those links have now been dismissed
No Deal: A rumour that was very much grounded in truth. Sadly, £8m man Tom Ince said NO
No Deal: Celtic star Victor Wanyama was wanted but the Bluebirds refused to increase their £10m offer, leaving the door open for Southampton
No Deal: Lyon striker Bafetimbi Gomis was of interest but would he want to come given interest from a number of other clubs? And would Cardiff be prepared to spend £12m on another striker after smashing their transfer record for Cornelius? No, is probably the answer to both
Reports in France have linked former Lyon defender Anthony Réveillère to a move to Cardiff City. The 33-year-old is currently out of contract
Unlikely: A lot of reports suggested Benfica star Oscar Cardozo could be on his way following reported comments from Malky Mackay in a Portugese newspaper. The club later denied interest and it always seemed a slightly odd one
Unlikely: No-nonsense Sunderland star Lee Cattermole was allegedly among Cardiff's top targets last month. Not going to happen, our sources suggest.
Unlikely: The old 'new Maradona' Javier Saviola is reportedly a target for Cardif f City, West Ham and Arsenal. Another one that seems highly unlikely
Unlikely: Another Wales star who the Bluebirds have been linked with is Hal Robson-Kanu. Those links ended this week when the Reading man signed a new three-year deal at the Championship side.
Long shot: He's young, he's Welsh and he's half decent, so Cardiff must be interested, right? £5m-rated Crystal Palace midfielder Jonny Williams was touted but the Bluebirds have no interest this summer.
Unlikely: West Brom midfielder Graham Dorrans was told he could look for a new club so, naturally, Cardiff were thrown into the mix as potential suitors. You never know, but no confirmed interest whatsoever at this point.
Unlikely: Former Chelsea star Salomon Kalou was one of the first to be linked with Cardiff City but this was quickly dismissed as nonsense.
Unlikely: A £2m move for for Fenerbahce defender Joseph Yobo was touted in June. Another that was dismissed by sources at Cardiff.
Unlikely: At one stage, internet rumours suggested former Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt had already enrolled his children at a school in the city. The verdict from Cardiff? More nonsense
Unlikely: Kurt Zouma is an 18-year-old defender at Saint-Etienne who Cardiff have apparently lodged a 10 million Euro bid for. No official interest, though
No deal: Forest striker Lewis McGugan was another early target. The fact he joined Watford last week suggests this one didn't have much legs to start with
Long shot: One of the very earliest rumours saw Ghanaian wing Albert Adomah strongly linked back in May. No truth at all, club sources confirmed.
No deal: Some reports the Bluebirds actually had a £2m bid for Leicester captain Wes Morgan accepted. Seems unlikely and hard to see him offering anything different, or better, than what Mackay already has at his disposal.
No deal: Links between Benjamin Mendy and Cardiff City certainly had truth in them but the young defender opted to join Marseille last week.
Unlikely: Could Cardiff City be interested in Scott Parker? Seems a decent fit with the England man available for around £2m. No interest confirmed yet, though.
No chance: Reading striker Pavel Pogrebnyak could well leave the Royals this summer and City have been suggested as one option. Nothing more than rumours, though.
No chance: Liverpool winger Oussama Assaidi was a strange one to emerge earlier this summer. Very hard to see any substance whatsoever to this one.
No chance: According to some reports in Ghana, former City loan star Quincy Owusu-Abeyie has flown in for talks and is set to seal a deal in the Welsh capital. Looks like he will leave Panathinaikos this summer but would be a big shock if he returned to Cardiff
No deal: It seemed Leon Barnett might be the first summer signing but now he has joined Championship outfit Wigan.
Unlikely: A former Swan coming to Cardiff? Seems silly but this was another early summer rumour. Malky Mackay is a fan of Danny Graham but very difficult to see any legs in this one.
It is the third time that Cardiff have broken their transfer record this summer following the acquisitions of £7.6m Denmark striker Cornelius and £8m centre-back Caulker.
It is understood that the £9.5m fee for Medel could rise to around £11m due to add-on clauses in the Chilean’s four-year deal.
And it’s another huge statement of intent that Cardiff aim to do more than simply survive in their first season in the top flight for over half a century.
Medel has been a rugged and respected competitor in La Liga where he won praise for a series of impressive man-marking displays on Barcelona superstar Messi.
But the Santiago-born midfielder – who played for Chile at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa – is no stranger to controversy.
Read more: Medel signing sparks #GaryMedelFacts Twitter craze
He was sent off three times in 31 appearances last season and seven times in all for Sevilla since joining from Boca Juniors in 2011.
The problem for Mackay is that, because of international duty this week, he won’t be able to integrate Medel into his squad for the Premier League opener at West Ham until the end of the week.
Medel won’t be able to train with his new Cardiff team-mates until Friday morning, leaving Mackay with a dilemma whether to pitch him straight into next Saturday’s trip to Upton Park
Record Cardiff City signing Gary Medel has shackled Lionel Messi and played in frenzied Boca-River Plate derbies in Argentina.
So Malky Mackay insists the 26-year-old Chilean midfielder will have no problem settling into the high-octane environment of the Premier League – despite a disciplinary record which saw seven red cards in 90 Sevilla appearances.
The man dubbed ‘El Pitbul’ in Spain might have a put a few noses out of joint – possibly literally on some occasions – but he is set to become a Bluebirds cult hero after completing his £9.5m move from La Liga.
“A contact in Spain tipped me off about Gary some time ago and we have watched him many times,” said Cardiff boss Mackay.
“At the time he wasn’t available but our head of recruitment Iain Moody stayed up-to-date with the situation.
“That work we put in over a few months has paid off because, when it seemed Gary would become available, we were able to make an offer which was accepted.
“We are delighted to have secured Gary’s services. He is a tenacious and intelligent international midfield player.
“He has had two seasons of regular football in La Liga, has more than 50 caps for Chile and made three appearances at a World Cup.
“His experience will be an invaluable asset to our squad.
“Gary has played in a number of Boca-River Plate derbies in Argentina – one of the world’s biggest derby matches – and I’ve no doubt his background and pedigree will complement our midfield group in the Premier League.”
Read more: The dark side of 'El Pitbul'
Medel’s capture comes after Cardiff had missed out on their top midfield targets Victor Wanyama and Etienne Capoue.
Celtic star Wanyama headed to Southampton for £12m and Capoue is set to join Tottenham Hotspur from Toulouse in an £11m deal.
But Mackay said ahead of Saturday’s 2-1 win over Spanish side Athletic Bilbao that when one transfer door closes another one opens – and his back-up plan in landing Medel came off after Sevilla’s 3-1 win at Manchester United on Friday night.
Mackay was at Old Trafford for Rio Ferdinand’s Testimonial and the deal progressed quickly enough for Medel to take his seat in the Cardiff City directors’ box on Saturday.
Medel had a medical before the game and the deal was concluded at around 8pm.
He joined up with his country yesterday ahead of a friendly against Iraq in Denmark on Wednesday, before returning to a Cardiff squad boasting other new signings in the shape of Steven Caulker, John Brayford, Andreas Cornelius and Simon Moore.
Gallery: The hits, misses and maybes of Cardiff's summer transfer window
Done deal:Sevilla star Gary Medel is the midfield man Malky Mackay got in. Here he is in action for Chile
Done Deal: Steven Caulker represents a huge coup for the Bluebirds after becoming the club's record signing
Done Deal: Striker Andreas Cornelius signed for Cardiff City in what was a record £8.5m move: Pictures by Pete Thomas, Cardiff City FC
Done Deal: Derby County defender John Brayford was a long-term target of Malky Mackay's. He landed him in late July for £1.5m
Done Deal: Malky Mackay plucked young keeper Simon Moore from League One Brentford
No deal: Etienne Capoue has snubbed the Bluebirds and is set to join Spurs
Strong Rumour: Stephane Mbia has been lined up if Malky Mackay fails to land Etienne Capoue
Strong Rumour: Tom Huddlestone is also on Malky Mackay's list of holding midfielders
Strong Rumour: Reports linked Peter Odemwingie to Cardiff City and Swansea City earlier this summer. The Swans have no interest but the Cardiff rumours won't go away
Long shot: Real Madrid youngster Denis Cheryshev is the latest name to be linked to a loan move for Cardiff City
Unlikely: Mexican defender Hector Moreno is a player the Bluebirds are tracking
Unlikely: Joe Ledley has been linked with a return to Cardiff but those links have now been dismissed
No Deal: A rumour that was very much grounded in truth. Sadly, £8m man Tom Ince said NO
No Deal: Celtic star Victor Wanyama was wanted but the Bluebirds refused to increase their £10m offer, leaving the door open for Southampton
No Deal: Lyon striker Bafetimbi Gomis was of interest but would he want to come given interest from a number of other clubs? And would Cardiff be prepared to spend £12m on another striker after smashing their transfer record for Cornelius? No, is probably the answer to both
Reports in France have linked former Lyon defender Anthony Réveillère to a move to Cardiff City. The 33-year-old is currently out of contract
Unlikely: A lot of reports suggested Benfica star Oscar Cardozo could be on his way following reported comments from Malky Mackay in a Portugese newspaper. The club later denied interest and it always seemed a slightly odd one
Unlikely: No-nonsense Sunderland star Lee Cattermole was allegedly among Cardiff's top targets last month. Not going to happen, our sources suggest.
Unlikely: The old 'new Maradona' Javier Saviola is reportedly a target for Cardif f City, West Ham and Arsenal. Another one that seems highly unlikely
Unlikely: Another Wales star who the Bluebirds have been linked with is Hal Robson-Kanu. Those links ended this week when the Reading man signed a new three-year deal at the Championship side.
Long shot: He's young, he's Welsh and he's half decent, so Cardiff must be interested, right? £5m-rated Crystal Palace midfielder Jonny Williams was touted but the Bluebirds have no interest this summer.
Unlikely: West Brom midfielder Graham Dorrans was told he could look for a new club so, naturally, Cardiff were thrown into the mix as potential suitors. You never know, but no confirmed interest whatsoever at this point.
Unlikely: Former Chelsea star Salomon Kalou was one of the first to be linked with Cardiff City but this was quickly dismissed as nonsense.
Unlikely: A £2m move for for Fenerbahce defender Joseph Yobo was touted in June. Another that was dismissed by sources at Cardiff.
Unlikely: At one stage, internet rumours suggested former Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt had already enrolled his children at a school in the city. The verdict from Cardiff? More nonsense
Unlikely: Kurt Zouma is an 18-year-old defender at Saint-Etienne who Cardiff have apparently lodged a 10 million Euro bid for. No official interest, though
No deal: Forest striker Lewis McGugan was another early target. The fact he joined Watford last week suggests this one didn't have much legs to start with
Long shot: One of the very earliest rumours saw Ghanaian wing Albert Adomah strongly linked back in May. No truth at all, club sources confirmed.
No deal: Some reports the Bluebirds actually had a £2m bid for Leicester captain Wes Morgan accepted. Seems unlikely and hard to see him offering anything different, or better, than what Mackay already has at his disposal.
No deal: Links between Benjamin Mendy and Cardiff City certainly had truth in them but the young defender opted to join Marseille last week.
Unlikely: Could Cardiff City be interested in Scott Parker? Seems a decent fit with the England man available for around £2m. No interest confirmed yet, though.
No chance: Reading striker Pavel Pogrebnyak could well leave the Royals this summer and City have been suggested as one option. Nothing more than rumours, though.
No chance: Liverpool winger Oussama Assaidi was a strange one to emerge earlier this summer. Very hard to see any substance whatsoever to this one.
No chance: According to some reports in Ghana, former City loan star Quincy Owusu-Abeyie has flown in for talks and is set to seal a deal in the Welsh capital. Looks like he will leave Panathinaikos this summer but would be a big shock if he returned to Cardiff
No deal: It seemed Leon Barnett might be the first summer signing but now he has joined Championship outfit Wigan.
Unlikely: A former Swan coming to Cardiff? Seems silly but this was another early summer rumour. Malky Mackay is a fan of Danny Graham but very difficult to see any legs in this one.
It is the third time that Cardiff have broken their transfer record this summer following the acquisitions of £7.6m Denmark striker Cornelius and £8m centre-back Caulker.
It is understood that the £9.5m fee for Medel could rise to around £11m due to add-on clauses in the Chilean’s four-year deal.
And it’s another huge statement of intent that Cardiff aim to do more than simply survive in their first season in the top flight for over half a century.
Medel has been a rugged and respected competitor in La Liga where he won praise for a series of impressive man-marking displays on Barcelona superstar Messi.
But the Santiago-born midfielder – who played for Chile at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa – is no stranger to controversy.
Read more: Medel signing sparks #GaryMedelFacts Twitter craze
He was sent off three times in 31 appearances last season and seven times in all for Sevilla since joining from Boca Juniors in 2011.
The problem for Mackay is that, because of international duty this week, he won’t be able to integrate Medel into his squad for the Premier League opener at West Ham until the end of the week.
Medel won’t be able to train with his new Cardiff team-mates until Friday morning, leaving Mackay with a dilemma whether to pitch him straight into next Saturday’s trip to Upton Park
Re: How City pulled off the 'El Pitbull' deal
Mon Aug 12, 2013 6:22 am
Wont be playing against the hammers then i can see big Sam wiping the sweat off this huge for head when he finds out this news ha ha
Re: " How City pulled off the 'El Pitbull' deal. "
Mon Aug 12, 2013 8:01 am
No mention of Jefferson Montero?
Re: " How City pulled off the 'El Pitbull' deal. "
Mon Aug 12, 2013 8:35 am
Tittygalore wrote:No mention of Jefferson Montero?
Just about to say the same. I will think if we can capture this fella as well, we will be finishing above 14th/15th!
Re: " How City pulled off the 'El Pitbull' deal. "
Mon Aug 12, 2013 10:04 am
Glad we got Medel
Re: How City pulled off the 'El Pitbull' deal
Mon Aug 12, 2013 11:05 am
fonzy85ccfc wrote:Wont be playing against the hammers then i can see big Sam wiping the sweat off this huge for head when he finds out this news ha ha
If he's fit he'll start. No question.
Re: How City pulled off the 'El Pitbull' deal
Mon Aug 12, 2013 11:15 am
Nanny McPhail wrote:fonzy85ccfc wrote:Wont be playing against the hammers then i can see big Sam wiping the sweat off this huge for head when he finds out this news ha ha
If he's fit he'll start. No question.
eally after most probably one training session . Malky is a proper tactician. Will be starting prep today for west ham .
Re: How City pulled off the 'El Pitbull' deal
Mon Aug 12, 2013 12:20 pm
Nanny McPhail wrote:fonzy85ccfc wrote:Wont be playing against the hammers then i can see big Sam wiping the sweat off this huge for head when he finds out this news ha ha
If he's fit he'll start. No question.
Re: How City pulled off the 'El Pitbull' deal
Mon Aug 12, 2013 12:35 pm
Nanny McPhail wrote:fonzy85ccfc wrote:Wont be playing against the hammers then i can see big Sam wiping the sweat off this huge for head when he finds out this news ha ha
If he's fit he'll start. No question.
I agree. He's had a full pre-season with Sevilla so he's fit. I'm sure he'll have some part to play at least.
Re: " How City pulled off the 'El Pitbull' deal. "
Mon Aug 12, 2013 5:23 pm
I sometimes wonder if MM gives out cryptic clues when talking about potential targets? He kept referring to 'spinning plates' and now we learn Gary Medel played in several derbies against River Plate 