Football League World
·19. November 2024
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·19. November 2024
FLW's Bluebirds fan pundit has picked out Poku as an ideal signing in the new year
This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...
Peterborough United winger Kwame Poku has been picked out as an ideal signing for Cardiff City in the January transfer window due to their need to sign a more direct, clinical wide player to help them push up the Championship table.
Cardiff are facing a pretty uncertain short-term future as it stands, with constant rumours over the club's next permanent manager, and if interim boss Omer Riza will get the job full-time, but will undoubtedly be looking toward the new year as a key month to bring in new additions in their quest to avoid relegation this season.
The Bluebirds currently sit 22nd in the second-tier, and their main issue so far this term has been scoring goals, with their 14 as a team to date the third-lowest in the whole league, only behind rivals Swansea City and rock-bottom Queens Park Rangers.
It is clear that fresh faces are needed in their attack in the new year, regardless of who is in charge, and they could inevitably look towards League One for some new additions to bolster their forward line.
Cardiff have some real talent among their winger ranks at this moment in time, but most seem to be struggling to provide goals and assists so far this season amid their poor start to the campaign.
Anwar El-Ghazi, who has previously played in the Premier League with Aston Villa and the Champions League with Ajax, has notched just a goal and an assist each in 13 league games, while Chris Willock, who has been a Championship standout with QPR, has the same record in one game more.
The Bluebirds' striker issues are also clear, with a real lack of competition for Callum Robinson, but FLW's Cardiff fan pundit, Jack Price, believes that the club also need to sign a winger in January, and has identified Posh's Poku as an ideal signing after we asked him for one position they need to strengthen in January, and a player they should attempt to sign as a result.
“I have discussed our striker problem in detail in the past, so I’m going to emphasize the need for us to bring in another winger instead," Jack told FLW.
“I think we’ve got decent options out wide. I do like Anwar El-Ghazi, and I hope that the best is still to come from him.
“Chris Willock is also a proven player at the level, but neither of them have the raw pace and directness to beat a man. They’re not those types of wingers.
“We need someone who can take the ball out wide, stand up their opposite number and drive us up the pitch, and also someone with end product.
“For me, Kwame Poku at Peterborough ticks all the boxes.
“Whether we can realistically land him is up for debate. He’s attracted attention from Southampton and Ipswich, but is he going to be ready to go straight from League One to the Premier League? I don’t know myself.
“Moreover, are they going to be able to guarantee him instant game-time? I don’t know.
“There is a lot of interest in the Championship. Millwall and Blackburn are among the teams interested, and you’d think we would be able to compete with those sorts of sides.
“It would be an unbelievable signing if we can pull it off. He looks dynamite.
“15 League One games, 10 goals and five assists so far. I think he’s on course to win League One Player of the Month for three months running.
“That speaks volumes to his quality, and how productive he has been in front of goal this season.
“He looks a top player. He can beat a man, take risks and is creative. What more could you want?
“While we are short up top, I think bringing in that profile of winger to ensure better service to our strikers is very important.
“Poku would be the perfect signing, wouldn’t he? Although, how many clubs across the second-tier will be saying that?”
Posh star Poku is one of the most in-form players in English football right now, and sits atop of the League One scoring charts with 10 goals and five assists in 15 matches, while he has picked up the third tier's Player of the Month award for both September and October as a result of his standout showings.
He has been linked with a move to numerous higher-placed teams recently, such as Rangers, Blackburn Rovers and Burnley as a result of his great performances, and is bound to be a top target for multiple clubs heading into January, with the Premier League sides Ipswich Town and Southampton both also reportedly keeping an eye out.
Peterborough are currently trying to tie him down to a new contract in PE2, as he is in the final year of his deal, but the flurry of recent reports around a January move suggest that they may well be open to a sale in the new year to fetch a decent fee for his services, rather than likely minimal compensation next summer.
Posh boss Darren Ferguson dubbed him "unplayable" in the wake of his hat-trick last time out against rivals Cambridge United, and no player in the top four tiers has had a hand in more goals this season than the 23-year-old up to now.
It is obvious that he would be a real statement of intent signing for Cardiff in the new year, but their chances of landing him look slim, if interest from those aforementioned clubs turns into concrete transfer advances.