Cardiff City are interested in a deal to bring Matty James to the Cardiff City Stadium this summer.
What’s the talk?
That’s according to a report by the Daily Mail, who claim that Mick McCarthy’s side are considering a move for the Leicester City midfielder at the end of his current contract at the King Power Stadium, which is due to expire this month.
It is also reported that a number of other Championship sides are keen on a move for the 29-year-old, including Bristol City, with the former Foxes manager Nigel Pearson believed to be eager to link up with one of his old players.
Would James be a good signing?
Yes
No
McCarthy must move
With McCarthy undoubtedly looking to improve on the Bluebirds’ impressive eighth-place finish in the Championship in their upcoming campaign, the 62-year-old will be looking to bring in a number of improvements to his current squad this summer.
And, considering James’ form while on loan at Coventry City in the second half of last season, as well as the £900k-rated man’s experience of playing in the Premier League with Leicester, he would very much appear to be an addition who could help Cardiff take their game to the next level in 2021/22.
Indeed, out of the £32k-per-week midfielder’s 117 appearances for the Foxes, over which he has scored five goals and provided 13 assists, 42 of those outings have come in the top flight of English football, with James notably playing a crucial role in the club’s great escape from relegation back in 2014/15.
And, while a number of injuries have prevented the 29-year-old from featuring on a more regular basis for Brendan Rodgers’ side, the former England U20 international highly impressed during a loan spell at Coventry last season, scoring three goals and providing three assists over his 23 Championship appearances for the Sky Blues.
That’s in addition to making an average of 1.6 tackles, 1.3 interceptions and 1.3 key passes per game, culminating in a seasonal WhoScored match rating of 6.88.
As such, the man whom Leicestershire Live writer Jordan Blackwell dubbed a “grafter” would very much be a fantastic addition to the Cardiff City midfield next season. Mick McCarthy should do all he can to get a deal over the line for the 29-year-old this summer, particularly as he won’t cost Vincent Tan a penny in transfer fees.
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