Medical today,while Slade ties up second player for City

Cardiff City closing in on Millwall's Scott Malone as Russell Slade plans to add a striker to his squad this week



Jan 05, 2015

By Terry Phillips


The January transfer window is now in full swing and Cardiff City boss Russell Slade will be busy. He's looking to bring three players in while as many as five could leave.


Cardiff City are closing in on two of their main transfer targets as the January window gets into full swing.

Millwall left-back Scott Malone will arrive at the Cardiff City Stadium on Monday after the clubs agreed a £100,000 fee, while Russell Slade is also ready to add a new striker to his squad.

Slade is keen to add three players in the window, having shelved plans to bring Chelsea starlet Islam Feruz in on loan.

The Bluebirds boss has Malone firmly in his sights and wants to add a striker to challenge Kenwyne Jones, Federico Macheda and Adam Le Fondre, and a midfielder with the pace and energy to make his favoured 4-4-2 formation work.

It now looks certain that Malone, 23, will be Slade's first signing of the window that officially opened on Saturday. He will discuss personal terms and undergo a medical on Monday, while a Millwall statement confirmed: “Scott Malone has been given permission to talk to Cardiff.”

The Lions were initially interested in a player-swap and turned down a £75,000 bid. There was also talk of Nicky Maynard going the other way on loan.

But a second straight cash offer of £100,000 was accepted and now Malone looks certain to be signed in time to be in contention for Saturday's visit of Fulham.



Having all but wrapped that deal up, Slade will turn his attention to the striker and midfielder he requires while managing the expected departures of Maynard, Javi Guerra, Guido Burgstaller and Etien Velikonja.

Juan Cala, Magnus Eikrem, Mats Daehli and Ravel Morrison have already left and Slade insists: “It’s clear how important this window is and how important the summer window will be. This club needs to regroup and start to rebuild.

“We have had four leave and more will be leaving.”

The arrival of Malone could also mean a shock January exit for former Manchester United star Fabio, who is unlikely to be happy spending too much more time on the Cardiff City bench.

I will be glad when this window is over and we know what we have been left with.

To me it feels we are going to be left with a squad that will bounce back from league one if we go down this season. If we avoid relegation of which we should do then as Slade has mentioned the summer it will be interesting to see what he is given to strengthen with.

While I think that Slade is out of his depth and have little confidence in him at least he acknowledges the need for extra pace in the side.

Cardiff are inquiring about a loan deal Scottish midfielder Barry bannan.

We will have an average championship squad by the end of this window.

Which is ridiculous looking at how confident we were coming into this season and how much money we've spent.

I was always not looking forward to slade in the transfer window

I was always not looking forward to slade in the transfer window

I think the end of the transfer window will show exactly what the managers/owners ambitions are.

I have a feeling that the interest in promotion has gone and its just a case of a money saving exercise. Players brought in on limited funds with low wages. Hence the quality of the squad will be depleted and Championship survival will be the aim.

I will be very surprised if there are any quality signings and I think Slade is setting his stall out for lower Championship/League 1 football.

Slade has in effect publicly stated that he needs to be reviewed after a window.

He needs to get on with it as it's all pretty underwhelming at the moment.