Cardiff City to cast transfer net into Europe as exciting recruitment era begins

It would be easy for Cardiff City fans to feel a little daunted heading into what is arguably the club's biggest transfer window in a decade. The mood within the club, though, is that of optimism and a desire to build on what has been an incredibly positive few months.

The player turnover this summer could be huge. As things stand, as many as 10 senior players see their contracts run out, while five loanees will return to their parent clubs. It presents a big challenge for Steve Morison, the board and the recruitment staff, but, if done well, has the potential to set the club on a successful path.

Work has already started behind the scenes and will ramp up markedly in the next month or so. Notably, because that is the time when Premier League clubs will decide on which young players they will keep and who will be told to find pastures new.

Given rule changes due to Brexit, English clubs at the top level are being forced to look within the UK for their young recruits, while many top academies have decided to cling on to more budding prospects than usual. For example, Chelsea might typically release four or five young prospects in a summer, who get snapped up by Southampton, Brighton and the like and there is a knock-on effect as those clubs let youngsters go, with clubs like Cardiff then reaping the rewards.

There has been less of that in recent transfer windows, though, due to registration rule changes caused by Brexit. But Cardiff will still try to benefit, as always, and could see trialists in the door as early as next month after Premier League clubs make their decisions.

The positive thing for Cardiff's perspective, we are told, is that young players, agents and even clubs looking to loan youngsters out are more