Here are your Cardiff City headlines for Friday, January 14.
Sunderland 'keen on Cardiff star'
Sunderland are weighing up a move for Cardiff City defender Aden Flint, according to Football League World.
The 32-year-old centre-back has been a regular in the Bluebirds' starting XI this season, having come back from his loan at Sheffield Wednesday a year ago and impressed since.
However, the player's contract runs out at the end of the season and little is coming out of the club pertaining to his - or any other player's - deal being extended.
With Sunderland hoping to get back into the Championship, Flint's former Bristol City boss Lee Johnson is reported to be keen on signing the player.
The Black Cats, who sit second in League One, look to be after some experience in order to get them over the line this season and Flint's name has seemingly been thrown into the mix.
Flint has scored four goals and played 24 games in all competitions for the Bluebirds this term.
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Mills' verdict on Cody Drameh
Former Leeds United player Danny Mills has claimed that Marcelo Bielsa does not "fancy" Cody Drameh for the first team.
Drameh joined Cardiff City on loan this week, a signing which has prompted much enthusiasm in south Wales.
The 20-year-old will add some pace and energy on that right-hand side and it is a signing those at Cardiff are particularly excited about.
Cardiff fought off a number of clubs, in the UK and abroad, for Drameh's signature, something Steve Morison puts down to great contacts and an excellent presentation to Leeds bosses.
However, former England defender Mills, who turned out 141 times for the Elland Road club, believes Drameh has to show Bielsa just what he is missing by impressing during his loan stint with the Bluebirds.
“It says to me Bielsa doesn’t quite rate him highly enough to play him in the first team,” Mills told Football Insider.
“He didn’t want Charlie Cresswell to leave and go out on loan because he thinks he could benefit from being around the team and training and is possibly going to be part of his plans.
“It’s the same with other players as well. If you’re prepared to let players leave at this stage with all the injuries, it’s my guess, but Bielsa doesn’t quite fancy him for the first team.”
Mowbray wary of Cardiff's two 'huge threats'
Blackburn Rovers boss Tony Mowbray has seen a change in Cardiff since Morison took over, but believes Sean Morrison and Flint still post "huge threats" from set pieces.
Cardiff have shifted in style slightly, but there is only so much Morison can do with the personnel he has in place.
They still have to lean on the qualities that they have in their squad and there is no doubt Morrison and Flint are up there with the best in the division when it comes to defending and attacking set pieces.
And Mowbray, whose side sit third in the Championship table ahead of the trip to south Wales, knows his side will have to be on their game if both Morrison and Flint get the nod to start against Rovers on Saturday lunchtime.
Asked if he’d seen a change in the Bluebirds under Morison, Mowbray said: “A little bit, he’s brought some young players in, some young attacking strikers in.
“I think he’s still got a formidable backline in the opposition box, Morrison and Flint can be a huge threat to any team.
“They try and play out from the back a bit more, they play through midfield.
“I look at their players and their mentality, there’s some big, strong men in their team and we have to stand up to them and try and get our game going.”
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Burnley eye another target man as Chris Wood replacement
Burnley are interested in signing Reading striker Andy Carroll as a direct replacement for Chris Wood, according to the Daily Mail.
Wood moved to Newcastle this week, prompting many to believe that the Clarets would come knocking for Moore. Indeed, reports on Thursday suggested that might well be the case.
However, it appears they have turned their attention to 33-year-old striker Carroll, whose contract at Reading expires this month. The former England frontman has one goal in seven Royals appearances.
Carroll took a short-term contract until January on a reported £1,000 per week in order to prove his fitness and now Sean Dyche is said to be interested in taking the player on a free transfer this month.
While there has, as yet, been no concrete interest in Moore from Cardiff's perspective, any potential suitors eyeing up other targets will be welcome news to City supporters, no doubt.
"It’s just something that’s made up in the press, because until someone gives us an actual phone call, it feels like a bit of a pointless conversation," Morison said of speculation surrounding Moore.
"We keep having the same conversation and nothing ever changes. As far as I’m concerned, Kieffer hasn’t knocked on my door or an agent hasn’t phoned me up, or the board.
"Chris Wood signs for Newcastle and everyone will be telling me he is going to Burnley tomorrow.
"Someone puts it on social media and it causes an unnecessary storm."
Wilder makes ex-Cardiff target available
Former Bluebirds target Uche Ikpeazu has been made available for loan or permanent transfer by Middlesbrough this month.
Cardiff were understood to be looking at the big striker in the summer before ex-Bluebirds boss Neil Warnock took him to Teesside.
Now, though, with Chris Wilder in place, it looks as though there is no place in the side for Ikpeazu, a player who Sean Morrison was disappointed City didn't sign, according to Warnock.
Cardiff are understood to be in the market for forward players this month and the loan market is certainly where they will be operating.
Whether they will reprise summer interest, given Morison is looking to move away from the style implemented by Mick McCarthy, remains to be seen. However, Wilder has made the option available.
Wilder said: “I’ve always said there will be outs as well and there are certain players that have been made available.
“Big Uche has been made available for loan or permanent transfer.
“His personality is fabulous and I think for other styles and systems he would be better suited. But the way we want to play, I’ve been open and honest with him, his game-time is going to be very minimal.
“So in terms of balancing the books we’ve made him available."
Smithies: Ratcliffe 'needs to be playing'
Cardiff's Alex Smithies believes youngster George Ratcliffe is getting to the stage of his career when he needs to start playing first-team games.
The 21-year-old is yet to make his first-team debut, but is a fully-fledged member of the senior setup.
With two top stoppers in front of him in Smithies and Dillon Phillips, chances are few and far between. However, with Smithies' contract up in the summer, the Wales under-21s keeper might get his shot next term.
"For George, he’s getting to that stage where he’ll need to be playing games, stepping up when he gets the opportunity," Smithies said.
"He has been working hard with me and Dillon, which I’d like to think is helping in bringing him along in his development as a young player with potential.”
Ahead of the clash with Blackburn on Saturday, City's first-choice stopper said: "“There have been some positives in recent games, but we’re in a tough spell of fixtures with Bournemouth, West Brom and Blackburn. It doesn’t get too much harder than that.
“We’re focussing now to get as much as we can out of every game. It’s going to be a tough second half to the season, with the first half not going how we would have wanted it to.
“We’re up against some top players in this division, and we’ve got to try to come out on top in these battles as many times as we possibly can. Of course it’s easier said than done, so it will be a big team effort to get the result."
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