“Cardiff City” season was quite successful.

A new team, the sacking of the manager, a transfer embargo and another relegation on the horizon. There’s never a dull moment in this little corner of the world, right?

With all that in mind, it’s probably understandable why signing new deals with unsigned players has taken a backseat. In that case, the transfer embargo, which the club insists it is confident will be lifted, should speed up the decision on those whose contracts expire at the end of the current campaign.

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City have eight players under contract next summer. It’s not exactly the number of players wasted this summer, but it’s still a good chunk of what will be on the roster next season.

Cardiff may offer existing players new deals despite the transfer embargo.

On the other side of the coin, if they are embargoed, they will only be able to have 23 professional players in their team. They can “sign” up to 23 players to maintain league integrity. You can read more about it here.

But the question is: would dropping some players free up more room under the salary cap, thus creating more wiggle room in next summer’s transfer window? These should only be free transfers and loans that don’t include loan fees, so they will be limited to who can sign.

That’s a lot to consider. And who knows, the embargo might be lifted next summer. Still, the eight players who are out of contract are going to want some clarity about their future sooner rather than later. So here’s a look at their current situation in Cardiff…

likes nelson

He’s had to take on a different role this season, waiting patiently on the bench for his chance. He had a bad start to the season after receiving few opportunities and was directly responsible for conceding two or three goals. But he’s not as bad a quarterback as some make him out to be. There was a reason he was a regular player and wore the captain’s armband at every club he played for.

He was as disappointed as anyone by those early season performances, but they came at an unfortunate time as he entered the final year of his contract.

That said, he still delivers a good mix of athleticism and physicality when needed. In fact, he was hired to help see games through his defensive skills in the air and his job was forgotten.

In “Cardiff” there are also few employees in this area. Perry Ng is fine but not a natural centre-back, Cedric Kipre returns to West Brom at the end of the season while Jack Simpson has managed. Whether Oliver Denham can reach that level remains to be seen.

Nelson will be paid a decent salary, and this one seems a bit far-fetched right now. Expect him to make the team before the end of the season if Ng or Kipre are injured.

harris brand

It looks like he will be given new terms before the end of the season.

He has just returned from Qatar, traveling there with Wales for their World Cup campaign, and has played well in the blue shirt so far this season.

A homegrown forward who rarely disappoints, Harris has arguably become more of a winger than a forward during his time with the Bluebirds. His versatility and productivity are appreciated by City’s coaching staff.

He’ll want to score more goals, but at 23 there’s still time to refine that part of the game. His future is probably behind the scenes.

Expect him to be a Cardiff player by this time next year.

white gavin

What a roller coaster your time in Cardiff has been.

He went from being favored by Neil Warnock to 18-month loan spells at Hull City and Oxford United, where they won promotion and produced his best attacking performances respectively.

He has returned and looked like a solid addition to the squad this season, scoring a fine goal against his former club Hull and providing a low-key assist for Ryan Wintle at Stoke City.

The 26-year-old Northern Ireland international has started the last two games and Mark Hudson qualifies him clearly. But why is there always a question mark about it?

Do you want a fresh start, somewhere as challenging as Hull or Oxford, or do you want to start your career in Cardiff as you enter what many would consider the pinnacle of your career?

Given current circumstances, it’s hard to say. However, he has a few months to weigh everyone.

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tom sang

A player who loves the club and intends to be in the starting line-up.

Hard-working Neil Harris, Mick McCarthy and now Hudson saw things they liked about Sang and placed him at both right wing and midfield.

The decision to send him on loan to Steve Morrison may have derailed him a bit, having just finished a season in which he made his first-team debut at right-back and made quite an impression.

The 23-year-old is a good team player at the moment and, like Harris, has time on his side. Another that rarely lets you down and whose versatility is an asset at this level.

Like White, he will have several months to raise his hand.

joel bagan

Given City’s struggles at left-back in recent years, Joel Bagan’s lack of playing time has puzzled some of his fans.

Joe Bennett, Greg Cunningham, Alfie Doughty, Jamilah Collins, Nils Nkunku, Callum O’Douda, Joe Ralls and Perry Ng have played there for the past two years. It certainly wasn’t a permanent position for the Bluebirds.

Bagan is now 21 years old and has 36 caps for the Bluebirds. At the end of last season, he bounced back and scored three goals in as many games. But persistent injuries have really hindered his development in recent seasons.

He was favored over Nils Nkunk and O’Dowd was invited to play there several times this season.

What is Bagan’s place in all of this now? It’s difficult. It is suspected that he is not far from some first-team action.

Anyway, Cardiff is a little easier in this area, but Collins will be back next summer. A new contract is being negotiated for the Republic of Ireland under-21 international.

eli rey

A player that Cardiff is delighted with. The central midfielder has been in fine form on loan at Crewe this season and many club insiders believe he has a bright future ahead of him in the heart of City’s midfield.

The Bluebirds have received positive feedback from Alex about the academy midfielder, who has many leadership qualities.

Aged just 19, his arrival was a real bonus for Cardiff, who ideally want him to spend a full season on loan in League One before breaking into City’s first-team next year.

The new contract is a certainty for the Wales under-21 international.

phillips

Former Bluebirds goalkeeping coach Andy Dibble is delighted with the signing of Dillon Phillips and always thought he would be the first choice when Alex Smithies left.

Steve Morrison and new goalkeeping coach Graham Stack clearly thought otherwise. The club signed two senior goalkeepers in the summer, first choice Ryan Allsop and second choice Yak Alnwick, with Phillips sidelined.

He moved to Belgium on loan from KV Oostende and had to be on the bench for the first nine games. However, he started the last five games but failed to find the back of the net and scored 17 goals in Oostende.

The Belgian club has a termination option. Whether or not they will decide remains to be seen, but he is unlikely to receive a new deal in the Welsh capital.

Kieron Evans

A winger who shone in under-23 football and rightfully earned his promotion to the first team under McCarthy and then had a few chances under Steve Morrison.

But Linfield’s disappointing signing came at the wrong time. This meant that the club were carefully considering his upcoming loan move, wanting him to have as many senior games as possible, and opted for non-league Torquay United.

Talk to any Torquay fan and they’ll tell you he’s stuck in grief at this level. But how are you going to move from that standard to the championship standard?

One feels they may need a Football League loan in the new year to give the club a better barometer of where the 21-year-old really is in his development.

The next few months are crucial.

Source: Wales Online