' CARDIFF CITY MIDFIELDER: WHAT NEXT? '

What next for this Cardiff City midfielder Tom Adeyemi?

By Jamie Kemble


Saturday 21st May 2016

Cardiff City midfielder Tom Adeyemi has now returned to the club after a season-long loan spell with Leeds United but what’s next for the 24-year-old?

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer acquired the services of Tom Adeyemi while Cardiff City manager back in 2014 for a fee “in excess of £1 million with add-ons”, according to the Birmingham mail.

The highly rated midfielder went on to play 23 times for the Bluebirds during his first season in South Wales but never really impressed. Adeyemi scored his first and only goal for Cardiff in an away draw at Charlton Athletic in December 2014.


The following summer, the decision was made by Russell Slade to send Adeyemi on a season-long loan with the former Bluebirds’ boss choosing to prioritize Joe Ralls in the midfield. The 24-year-old joined Leeds where he made 24 appearances this season.

Adeyemi started his Elland Road career with a bang, nailing down a first team place but he fell out of favour shortly after the arrival of Steve Evans who took over as manager.

Not dis-similar to Evans, Adeyemi is unsure where his future lies with Leeds confirming the midfielder is free to return to parent club Cardiff.

The Bluebirds’ new Head Coach, Paul Trollope, has a number of decisions to make with more than 10 players returning from loan spells. Between Adam Le Fondre and Tom Adeyemi alone, Cardiff have spent more than £3.5 million and between the two, they have failed to provide a full season worth of league games.

With Leeds United’s situation unclear currently, it seems Adeyemi’s future lies either at Cardiff or elsewhere.

However, Cardiff are blessed with options in the midfield – Joe Ralls, Stuart O’Keefe and Peter Whittingham will almost certainly be playing football at the Cardiff City Stadium next season while Aron Gunnarsson, Kagisho Dikgacoi, Lex Immers also pack the options in the middle of the park.

Adeyemi’s former club Birmingham could be a location of interest with the Blues on a tight budget and with the combative midfielder likely available on the cheap.

Tom Adayemi’s future looks destined to be away from the Cardiff City Stadium but locating a buyer may be an issue and the Bluebirds will almost certainly have to take a loss on the estimated £1 million fee paid in 2014.

Sell and try to recoup money lost. Or prove that you deserve a place in the team. I thought he looked good when he first joined then he had a injury and remember him coming on for about a minute. Making a superb sliding tackle and pulling his groin or hamstring again. Maybe he can show pre season why he was highly rated by many teams/managers again

When he first went to Leeds they were all raving about him too. He must have something to prove still. We have a few youngsters that are close to being their best, maybe Trollope will give these a bigger part to play this year including John and Harris too.

He's had long enough and done nothing, get off the wage bill we've got plenty of center mids better than him

Leeds United will not be signing Tom Adeyemi on a permanent deal from Cardiff City.

Saturday 21st May 2016

Leeds signed the midfielder last summer on a season long loan deal with a view to a permanent deal this summer but he has now returned to South Wales.

The 24-year-old made 24 appearances for Leeds during his season long loan scoring twice but his opportunities were limited during the second half of the season following the arrival of Liam Bridcutt from Sunderland on loan and the permanent signing of Toumani Diagouraga from Brentford.

Adeyemi made just one start in five appearances during 2016 featuring for just 99 minutes.

Fellow loan players Bridcutt and Mustapha Carayol have also returned to their parent clubs after loan spells at Elland Road.

Bridcutt caught the eye during his loan spell and Sunderland are expected to allow the 27-year-old to leave this summer. He made 28 appearances during his spell with Leeds and his form saw him recalled to the Scotland squad.

He is now out of contract at Middlesbrough and he is expected to be released by the newly promoted Premier League side.

Carayol made seven starts in 14 appearances during his time at Leeds, scoring twice.

Given the amount of midfielders we have in the side he's only going be a fringe player so i'd get rid and bring o'sullivan into the first team squad in his place

He is worth next to nothing in the TM on the wages he's on