Cardiff City are shaping up for a significant January window, with one player already touted as a target, and another possibly on the move.
The Bluebirds are top of League One and preparing to strengthen a squad that already looks primed for a promotion charge.
One in: Cardiff make contact over Camil Jebara
Brian Barry-Murphy’s side have been relentless in the first half of the season, particularly in the final third. 32 goals in 18 matches underline how fluid they have become going forward, yet the club hierarchy appears determined to give the manager even more firepower for the second half of the campaign.
Their interest in Elfsborg winger Camil Jebara is the clearest sign of that. The Swedish wide player, 23 years of age, has been on their radar for some time and Expressen report that contact has already been made. Jebara’s career has been steady rather than explosive in Sweden, with Landskrona, Elfsborg, Vasteras and Kalmar all shaping his development.
It was at Kalmar, in the Swedish second tier, where he began to look like a player ready for a step up. Two goals and eight assists from wide areas through 27 league matches is a strong return and the kind of productivity that suits Barry-Murphy’s style, which depends heavily on quick, direct wide options who can commit full backs and feed runners inside the box.
The Swedish season finished last month, which has encouraged clubs to move early. Jebara has two years left on his Elfsborg deal and has never managed to force himself into their long-term plans, which makes a switch appealing. Cardiff’s pitch is simple, the chance to play regular football for a side chasing promotion and thriving under a manager who has been praised by neutral observers for the way he revitalised a team that looked completely flat last season.
One out: Ethan Horvath edging towards MLS return
While Cardiff look to bring one player in, another senior figure appears to be heading the other way. Ethan Horvath’s time as a Bluebird has felt like it has been winding down for months, with the United States keeper never part of Barry-Murphy’s plans since the manager took charge in the summer.
Horvath has spent the first half of the season on loan at Sheffield Wednesday, covering for the injured Pierce Charles. With Charles now back fit, Wednesday are set to release him from his short-term deal at the end of December. That has opened the door for movement and the expectation in the US is that Horvath now wants to return home, where clubs including New York Red Bulls, LA Galaxy, Orlando City and Minnesota United are in the market for a new number one.
At 30 years of age and with a home World Cup approaching, a return to MLS is attractive for him. He has played 16 matches for Wednesday, delivered two clean sheets and even produced a man of the match display in the Carabao Cup win against Leeds, yet there is no route back into the Cardiff starting picture while Nathan Trott is in such strong form. The loanee from FC Copenhagen has been superb, and Cardiff have an option to buy if they secure promotion.
Behind Trott, academy goalkeeper Matthew Turner is the current deputy, and Jak Alnwick remains away for personal reasons. Horvath’s permanent exit would free up wages and a squad slot, which gives Cardiff room to bring in cover if required once the window opens.