Here are your Cardiff City headlines for Thursday, May 19.
St Mirren boss: Alnwick rejected new deal for 'life-changing' Cardiff move
St Mirren boss Stephen Robinson has revealed he offered Jak Alnwick a new deal to stay at the club, however the goalkeeper rejected it in favour of "life-changing money" at Cardiff City.
Alnwick became the second player to sign for City this summer, with a three-year deal for the 28-year-old having been announced earlier this week. He joins after a fantastic season between the sticks, showcasing the kind of form that prompted Robinson to offer him a new deal.
READ MORE : Death threats from Spurs fans, Bale comparisons and why Cardiff 'just felt right' for Ollie Tanner
But Alnwick was drawn to Cardiff and couldn't be convinced to stay. The St Mirren boss also gave Cardiff fans some more insight into what they can expect for City's new goalkeeper.
Robinson told the Daily Record : “Jak performed very well for me and has done so for the club for the last two years. I offered him a new contract as soon as I came in. Unfortunately for us he’s going to the Championship to earn life-changing money, but we can’t hold that against him.
"He’s got everything you could want from a modern day goalkeeper. As well as his shot-stopping he’s great with his feet, which helped us miss the press playing out from the back.
“He’s also got a brilliant attitude and I’ve got every confidence he’ll go on and do well down in the Championship. Unfortunately for us he missed 50 per cent of my first eight games in charge. Missing him was a big part of that poor run we went on. No disrespect to anyone else, but it’s difficult to replace that quality when it’s missing.
“Being without him and Connor Ronan after his sending off against Hearts could have been the difference for us making the top six, because we missed their quality so much.”
Meanwhile, former Bluebirds and Saints striker Steven Thompson said of Alnwick's move to Cardiff: “St Mirren have been very lucky with goalkeepers over the last four years, with Vaclav Hladky before and then Jak. He will be a very big miss.
“There’s no doubt he was one of the top keepers in the league over the last two years. He’s performed so well throughout this season, making a number of fantastic saves. He’s also a good communicator which helps the defence massively.
“As well as his saves, he’s exceptional with the ball at his feet which is often overlooked with goalkeepers. He’ll be a huge miss but it’s hard for a club like St Mirren to hold on to players like him. I know from experience Cardiff are a huge club and it’s a massive step up for him.
"He really couldn’t turn that down and I wish him all the best down there. I’m confident he’ll do well there.”
Collins' departing message ahead of Cardiff switch
Cardiff are set to make Nigeria left-back Jamilu Collins their fourth summer signing and the player has penned a heartfelt message to fans of his former club SC Paderborn.
Collins was due in Cardiff on Thursday to undergo a medical. If all went according to plan, the player is due to become the club's fourth summer signing following the arrivals of Ebou Adams, Alnwick and Ollie Tanner.
The 25-cap Nigeria international will be a free transfer following the expiration of his contract at Bundesliga 2 club SC Paderborn, for whom he played five years. And, writing on social media, Collins penned a parting message to his former club's supporters.
"My dear SC Paderborn it’s difficult to find the right words to say goodbye, there are many emotions involved, all at once. After a long five years it time to say goodbye," he wrote on Instagram.
"I thank you all for supporting me in good and bad times and I will never forget the achievement we made all together as a club and as a team. I wish you all the very best for the future
Rob Page on Gareth Bale's next move
Rob Page insists he has no concerns around captain Gareth Bale's focus for Wales this summer, despite increasing speculation over his next move.
Bale is set to become a free agent at the end of the current campaign and rumours over his next move are rife. Hometown club Cardiff City are currently the bookies' favourites for a move, while former club Tottenham, and teams in the MLS, have similarly been mooted as possible destinations.
In an interview with WalesOnline, agent Jonathan Barnett has already confirmed that the forward will now wait to see whether Wales can make it to the World Cup later this year before making any decision about his future - a scenario echoed by Page. Wales will take on either Scotland or Ukraine in Cardiff on Sunday, June 5, and Bale is set to play a big part in his team's bid to earn a first World Cup spot since 1958.
Quizzed on where he thought Bale could end up, Page said: “I think everybody is probably thinking the same thing. It will depend on how results go with regards to what he does next season with a club. The only person who can answer that is Gareth. All I know is whenever he turns up for us he is first class.
"He showed it again and showed his class against Austria with a world-class free-kick. It is not just what he does on the pitch, it is what he does off the pitch as well.
"The full focus on himself is winning this game against Ukraine or Scotland so he can worry about that after. He is here for the full duration, he has made that really clear to me." You can read it all in full here.
Trio circle around young starlet Matondo
Cardiff City face a fight to keep hold of teenager Japhet Matondo amid interest from Scotland and the Premier League.
A recruitment source has told WalesOnline that Matondo, the brother of former Cardiff prodigy Rabbi, is attracting a lot of interest this summer, with Old Firm duo Rangers and Celtic among those believed to be monitoring the 16-year-old's progress.
Leeds United are also understood to the be in the mix for the teenager, who has already featured for Cardiff's under-23s side and Wales Under-17s, recently netting for the latter against Scotland.
Matondo can play as a winger on both flanks, and is understood to be highly rated by many in the capital and within the Wales camp. You can read the full story here.
