Callum Robinson to be moved on? Cardiff City must sort these 3 issues before August 30th | OneFootball

FLW takes a look at some of the issues Erol Bulut will have to sort out at the Cardiff City Stadium this summer

With the transfer window now open, Cardiff City are set for a busy couple of months as Erol Bulut looks to shape his squad ready for the 2024/25 campaign.

The Bluebirds were under a transfer embargo last summer which meant they couldn't pay fees for players, but Bulut used his knowledge of the European markets to sign players like Manolis Siopis, Dimitrios Goutas, and also re-signed Aaron Ramsey.

With no embargo this summer, you can expect the Bluebirds to spend some money, but what might just be as important is getting players off the books that aren't needed anymore, and you can expect plenty of business to be done in the Welsh capital.

With that in mind, here are 3 issues that Cardiff City need to sort before the transfer window slams shut at the end of August.

The 2023/24 season was a miserable one for Callum Robinson, and with just one year left on his deal at the Cardiff City Stadium, it would be a sensible move to let him leave this summer.

Robinson has shown in the past that he's a quality Championship forward, but he struggled for a regular run of games last season, and there were signs towards the end of last season that his relationship with Bulut was somewhat strained.

Bulut called Robinson out for a lack of work rate off the ball early in the season, before the Cardiff boss revealed that the Irishman was left out of their matchday squad for a game against Millwall in April, citing disciplinary reasons.

There was then the bizarre story of Robinson being unavailable due to 'illness' for a game against Southampton in January, when the forward had been pictured at the Etihad Stadium watching his friend Jack Grealish play less than 24 hours prior, suggesting that all is not well between him and Bulut.

Robinson played 25 games in all competitions last season, scoring three times and registering two assists. However, he played just 47 minutes of league football between the 29th December and the end of the season, suggesting his time at the Welsh capital will come to an end this summer.

Cardiff City must sign a striker

Despite a decent season which saw them finish 12th, Cardiff's main downfall was a lack of goals from open play, and none of the club's strikers particularly impressed, so that's an issue they need to sort this summer.

Famara Diédhiou was signed on loan from Granada in January, but he failed to make an impact, and the former Bristol City man will return to Spain this summer, and it's clear that the Bluebirds will need further striker reinforcements.

A number of players started up front for the Bluebirds last season to no avail, with Ike Ugbo, Callum Robinson, Yakou Meite, Kion Etete and Diédhiou all struggling for goals.

The table above shows that none of Cardiff's forward options were prolific last season, and it's clear that if Cardiff want to move up the table, they'll need to sign someone capable of scoring goals on a regular basis.

Signing a prolific striker won't come cheap, but the Bluebirds were linked with a move for former player Kieffer Moore in January, and it remains to be seen if they'll be interested again this summer.

The Bluebirds are solid at the back, so if they can find someone to score more goals, they could have a good chance of being in the mix for the play-offs.

Cardiff City need defensive reinforcements

With Nat Phillips' loan spell coming to an end, as it stands, Cardiff City only have two senior centre-backs on their books, and it's clear they'll need to add to that this summer.

It's a similar story at left-back. Josh Wilson-Esbrand's loan spell has come to an end, which means that Jamilu Collins is the only senior left-back in the squad, although they do have Joel Bagan returning from his loan spell.

There could also be problems at right-back if Perry NG was to get injured. NG is a mainstay in Cardiff's side, and Mahlon Romeo is a capable deputy, but like the aforementioned Callum Robinson, he was suspended for disciplinary reasons back in April, and it remains to be seen how much of a future he has at the club.

However, it's clear that the Bluebirds will certainly need reinforcements at centre-back and potentially left-back depending on how Bagan has impressed during his loan spell, and it's something that Bulut desperately needs to address prior to the transfer window closing at the end of August.