This is how Cardiff City's transfer committee will work

The January transfer window is now open and Cardiff City are on the hunt for three new signings as they bid to try and make the play-offs.

4th Jan 2016


Russell Slade's top priority is a replacement for the departing Kenwyne Jones , with a permanent deal for on loan Tony Watt also expected.

So how will things work at the club over the coming days and weeks? Here, we take a look at the set-up of the Bluebirds' transfer committee.

Club owner Vincent Tan, who is usually based in Malaysia. Plays a full part on the transfer committee - and comes up with his own ideas.

Chairman Mehmet Dalman, who lives and works in London. He is a regular visitor to Cardiff on matchdays and other occasions. Director who has powers to make executive decisions. Plays a leading role in transfer negotiations.
Chief executive Ken Choo, who works from Cardiff City Stadium. He runs the non-football side: finance, operations, commercial, legal, communications, human resources.

Manager Russell Slade, whose main base is at City’s Vale of Glamorgan Resort training headquarters working with his squad.

During the summer of 2014 when chairman Mehmet Dalman took on a new executive role, working closely with Vincent Tan.

At the time they were joined by manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Choo, who was general manager at that stage and is now chief executive.

The quartet hold the key to Bluebirds’ transfers and all of them have to agree before any new player is signed.

A major reason it was set up was the issues Tan and former boss Malky Mackay had over players signed, particularly £8m flop Andrea Cornelius.

Explaining the new committee, Dalman said: “We have a transfer committee to ensure we have full transparency.

“Both the owner and manager can see exactly what is happening and are part of every decision.

“Ultimately, of course, unless the manager agrees we would not go ahead with a proposed deal.

“But it is crucial that all transfer dealings are open and transparent.”

Chairman Mehmet Dalman has played a major role in negotiations. He flew to France to conduct negotiations with Lorient when Bruno Manga, City’s player of the year last season, was brought in.

The transfer fee was £3.5m, which was some way lower than the wrongly reported £5m.

Dalman was also the key man in bringing Sammy Ameobi to Cardiff on loan from Newcastle in the summer. Wolves were hot favourites to snap up Ameobi, but Dalman spoke to Newcastle manager Steve McClaren and then the player to convince them Cardiff was the right place to be.

Tan and Choo have a big say on how much money is available to sign players and the chief executive works closely with Dalman.

Slade’s focus is on football and once a target has been identified and accepted by the committee he lets Choo and Dalman get on with negotiations. He is, though, kept informed.

Vincent Tan, clearly, holds the power at Cardiff City, but he has also made it clear he wants transfers to be dealt with in the right way.

The agreement is that there must be full transparency and that all four members must agree before City sign anybody. Manager Slade has a strong voice if he doesn’t feel a player is right for Cardiff, while Choo will advise on the financial side.

Dalman leads negotiations once transfer talks start and he, too, has major influence on signings.

How often is Vincent Tan in contact with the rest of the committee?

It’s clear he takes a big interest in Cardiff City and speaks to all members of the committee on a regular basis at least.

He has a daily input through Choo, speaks to Dalman two or three times a week and often chats to Slade.

The blind leading the blind

A good man Dalman

Cant blame tan after malky wasting so much money. I bet he has people researching every transfer suggested by slade

I believe The play offs and promotion are out of our reach with our current management team.

Better get a young progressive coach ,have a good look at our young players and give them a chance for 6 months .

Then have a good look at the transfer market in the Summer

I believe The play offs and promotion are out of our reach with our current management team.

Better get a young progressive coach ,have a good look at our young players and give them a chance for 6 months .

Then have a good look at the transfer market in the Summer

Totally agree

We are going nowhere so f**k off with signing 32 year old journeymen like Revell and throw some kids in.

If it takes 2/3 years before we challenge again then so be it but at least we will be building some foundations.

I believe The play offs and promotion are out of our reach with our current management team.

Better get a young progressive coach ,have a good look at our young players and give them a chance for 6 months .

Then have a good look at the transfer market in the Summer

Totally agree

We are going nowhere so f**k off with signing 32 year old journeymen like Revell and throw some kids in.

If it takes 2/3 years before we challenge again then so be it but at least we will be building some foundations.

That won't happen whilst we're still in the hunt. If we do sneak in to the playoffs then it's a lottery as u know. Even if we did get hammered and come straight back down, the money benefits are still massive to us.

I believe The play offs and promotion are out of our reach with our current management team.

Better get a young progressive coach ,have a good look at our young players and give them a chance for 6 months .

Then have a good look at the transfer market in the Summer

Totally agree

We are going nowhere so f**k off with signing 32 year old journeymen like Revell and throw some kids in.

If it takes 2/3 years before we challenge again then so be it but at least we will be building some foundations.

That won't happen whilst we're still in the hunt. If we do sneak in to the playoffs then it's a lottery as u know. Even if we did get hammered and come straight back down, the money benefits are still massive to us.

Never going to happen

I believe The play offs and promotion are out of our reach with our current management team.

Better get a young progressive coach ,have a good look at our young players and give them a chance for 6 months .

Then have a good look at the transfer market in the Summer

Totally agree

We are going nowhere so f**k off with signing 32 year old journeymen like Revell and throw some kids in.

If it takes 2/3 years before we challenge again then so be it but at least we will be building some foundations.

That won't happen whilst we're still in the hunt. If we do sneak in to the playoffs then it's a lottery as u know. Even if we did get hammered and come straight back down, the money benefits are still massive to us.

You are of course both right but last time we sneaked into the play offs West Ham beat us 5-0 in the semi. I feel we could spend a lot of money in January and be in a bigger mess in May

Dalman negotions with Newcastle for Ameobi have been nothing short of a joke, Ameobi has been utter dross, what a waste of weekly wages to have this nobby parading around the pitch like little lord fontleroy !!

Cant blame tan after malky wasting so much money. I bet he has people researching every transfer suggested by slade

How about Ole? ?

Velikonja was Vinnie the Red's signing, so he's wasted the money which is all loans anyway. Think of all the finance wasted going red and the masses of merchandise nobody wanted. Think of the cost of Tan's red stand. He's contributed greatly to our demise.

So the Transfer Committee is made up of 3 blokes (from over seas) who have no pedigree of actually playing or coaching football, and a PE teacher ?

credit to Tan for me on this - why should he p*ss money away for stupid joker players. This has all the signs of making us a propper business, and shows sense but some will find a way of saying this is Tan f'in us over again.

Well done committee

So what about the money wasted on the likes of Doyle, Revell, O Keefe, Tamas.etc?

Yes its not massive compared to what Malky and Ole spent but its still wasting money for a club thats cutting costs.

Velikonja was Vinnie the Red's signing, so he's wasted the money which is all loans anyway. Think of all the finance wasted going red and the masses of merchandise nobody wanted. Think of the cost of Tan's red stand. He's contributed greatly to our demise.

of course he was lol malky tracked him for years and said it or was malky a lier ? Hmmmmmmm

Ffs only 2 posts actually responding to OP rest just usual crap about Slade ect ect , we needed something like this like other well known clubs operating same system it is OK in my eyes!

Ffs only 2 posts actually responding to OP rest just usual crap about Slade ect ect , we needed something like this like other well known clubs operating same system it is OK in my eyes!

Yes there are some clubs who operate this system but usually theres people on the comitee who understand football

I believe The play offs and promotion are out of our reach with our current management team.

Better get a young progressive coach ,have a good look at our young players and give them a chance for 6 months .

Then have a good look at the transfer market in the Summer

Totally agree

We are going nowhere so f**k off with signing 32 year old journeymen like Revell and throw some kids in.

If it takes 2/3 years before we challenge again then so be it but at least we will be building some foundations.

I have to agree.

Dalman negotions with Newcastle for Ameobi have been nothing short of a joke, Ameobi has been utter dross, what a waste of weekly wages to have this nobby parading around the pitch like little lord fontleroy !!

I know waste of money.

Cant blame tan after malky wasting so much money. I bet he has people researching every transfer suggested by slade

Totally agree. The £8m wasted on Cornelius could revamp our squad now. Value for money is the way.