Cardiff City will fight to hold onto Fraizer Campbell

27/05/14

Cardiff City are ready to fight to hold onto their top-scorer from last season, striker Fraizer Campbell.

With the Bluebirds preparing for life in the Championship, the 26-year-old has already been linked with a move away to a clutch of clubs.

Newly-promoted Leicester have reportedly made a £1m bid for the man who cost the Bluebirds £650,000 when he joined them from Sunderland in January 2013.

Although sources within the club have played down the Foxes link.

Campbell, who reportedly has a relegation release clause in his Cardiff contract, has already been linked with a return to the Premier League with West Brom, Hull and former club Sunderland.

Further question marks have been raised about the player’s Cardiff future with the number of attacking targets manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has already been linked with this summer. Spanish striker Javi Guerra became the Norwegian’s first signing last week.

The Bluebirds have reportedly had a £3m bid accepted by Bournemouth for their striker Lewis Grabban whilst Solskjaer is also keen on former Manchester United hit-man Federico Macheda.


Javi Guerra and Lewis Grabban could be Cardiff's strike force next season
 
But despite that Solskjaer is determined to hold onto Campbell as well.

The Bluebirds boss has already expressed concerns about the lack of firepower Cardiff had in the top-flight last term and is keen to have plenty of attacking options at Cardiff City will fight to hold onto Fraizer Campbell despite Javi Guerra signing and links to Lewis Grabban and Federico Macheda his disposal in the Championship.

Bluebirds chairman Mehmet Dalman has revealed that early talks have already taken place with the striker about him remaining in the Welsh capital.

Dalman said recently: “Fraizer’s done fantastically for us, not just this season but the previous season.

“He’s very much loved at the club and we want him to stay.”

As the Bluebirds were relegated in a disappointing campaign in the Premier League last season Campbell impressed many with his performances. He finished the club’s top-scorer with nine goals in total, six in the league and three in the FA Cup.

Only Jordon Mutch scored more league goals for Cardiff as he grabbed seven.

Solskjaer, who took charge half-way through the ill-fated top-flight campaign, has made no secret about his frustration that his side were unable to find the net more often.

Next season he wants things to be radically different with the Bluebirds already regarded in many quarters as the favourites to finish top of the Championship.



 
Solskjaer recently admitted: “It was a tough season for Cardiff City in the Premier League, but we enjoyed being able to play against some of the best teams in the world.

“It’s no secret that we lacked goals in the team last season and it’s a fact that if we are to compete at the right end of the table in the Championship, we’ll need players who can find the back of the net.”

One such player would seem to be 22-year-old Macheda who is a free agent this summer having seen his contract come to an end at United.

A move to the Bluebirds is thought to be inching closer.

After a dramatic start to his United career five years ago the Rome-born marksman found himself in the footballing wilderness at Old Trafford in more recent times.

He only made five Premier League starts in the end for the Manchester giants and a smattering of starts in the cup competitions.

He spent a lot of time on loan during his time in United.

In January 2011 came a move to his native Italy to turn out for Serie A outfit Sampdoria where Macheda made 14 appearances.

A year later Macheda was back in the English Premier League at QPR where he made six appearances this time. Another year on and the itinerant Macheda was in Germany making 17 appearances for Stuttgart.

Last season he played in the Championship first at Doncaster and then Birmingham.

The club should save money by offering Fraizer a big pay rise to stay. Even £10K extra per week would save us money.
10K pw = £1.5m extra over 3 years

Not bother wasting £3m on a potential one season wonder (we already have a penalty taker as well).
Grabban costs £3m plus wages etc, so could be a cost of £6m over 3 years (with his wages).
So it is better to keep Campbell (proven goal scorer) and we could save the extra £4.5m

I have not taken account of Campbell's current wages in this as it is just to show how we could save money by keeping a proven goal scorer (by giving a pay rise), and not wasting £6m on an unproven one.
If Campbell was sold (for £1m as the press state), plus his wages of £3.75m saved over 3 years (guessing as not itk), we would still be paying about £1.25m extra for Grabban.
So best to keep Campbell.

If he stays, he must have a great deal of respect and belief in Ole..

With the strikers we're going in for I personally don't care if he leaves, anything above 2m and accept it

Hope he stays he's quality in the championship

Better than Le Fondre, Macheda and Grabban, may even be better than Guerra we'll have to wait and see. Easy 20+ goal striker in the championship

let him go i say, think he want's to leave anyway