Cardiff City boss Brian Barry Murphy has moved to shut down reports from Sweden that the League One leaders had made an approach for IF Elfsborg winger Camil Jebara.
The 21-year old impressed on loan at Kalmar last season with two goals and eight assists in 27 Allsvenskan outings, and speculation quickly linked him with a move to the Bluebirds.
Barry Murphy made it clear that while he knows the player, there has been no move from Cardiff’s side.
“I can never lie, I know who he is. I know who he is, but again, he is not one of our players.”
Asked directly if Cardiff had made contact, he added:
“That is not the case. I do not think I should say any comment about him.”
It is another reminder of how the top end of League One operates. A good run of form quickly pulls a club into overseas scouting conversations, whether grounded or not, and that is especially true for a side pushing for automatic promotion. The Bluebirds sit high in the division for good reason, although Barry Murphy was keen to steer the conversation away from external noise.
Youth development shaping Cardiff’s January window
What Barry Murphy did confirm was that several of Cardiff’s younger players are likely to head out on loan. The Bluebirds are out of both the FA Cup and the EFL Trophy, which reduces their rotation opportunities considerably, leaving promising prospects in danger of stagnating.
“We have spoken already about Dakarai Mafiko and Tanatswa Nyakuhwa, they stayed in the August window, and Luey Giles I would include in that bracket, to essentially see how many games they would get within that period from August until January.
“Now, they have not had enough game time to consolidate what they have been doing in training. So, as such, we will actively be looking for those players to get the right loan moves to continue development and progress.”
The rest of Cardiff’s prospects, including Morgan Wigley, who is currently with Barry Town, sit under the remit of academy director Gavin Chesterfield. Barry Murphy suggested that decisions further down the pathway will be shaped by Chesterfield’s assessments.
Does it affect the Imps?
With Cardiff top of League One and nudging ever closer to the Championship conversation, their January activity could have a knock-on effect across the division. Any incomings might strengthen a promotion rival, while loan departures might temporarily thin the depth of a leading side in a tight table.
Any moves they make will come after their trip to the Bank next weekend, so we’ll only see the effects when we visit the Welsh capital later in the season. Whatever happens, keeping pace with the clubs around us includes understanding the wider landscape. The Bluebirds look set for a relatively busy month, even if the Swedish rumours go no further, and the movements of a promotion rival are always worth keeping half an eye on as we approach the window.