Bristol Rovers, Newport County plotting transfer moves for player who Cardiff City 'really value' | OneFootball

League Two strugglers Newport County and Bristol Rovers are interested in signing Tanatswa Nyakuhwa on loan from Cardiff City.

Newport County and Bristol Rovers will both be hoping to undertake productive transfer windows either side of the River Severn as the struggling League Two pair bid to stave off the threat of relegation out of the Football League.

County find themselves at the bottom of the fourth tier, having yielded just four wins in 24 league attempts, while Rovers are just three points clear of the relegation zone.

Just down the road, though, Cardiff City are vying for an immediate Championship return following last season's relegation, and remain top of the third tier following Saturday's 1-1 draw at Leyton Orient.

And it's a swoop on the Welsh capital that both Newport and the Gas are looking to do this month, with the player in question being one who the Bluebirds 'really value'.

Newport County and Bristol Rovers battle to sign Tanatswa Nyakuhwa on loan from Cardiff City

Cardiff can strengthen their grip on League One's top spot by defeating third-place Bradford City at Valley Parade on Saturday.

The Bluebirds have enjoyed a five-game unbeaten run, and will be vying to extend that to pull themselves away from both the Bantams and fellow top-two club Lincoln City.

Throughout his side's promotion bid so far, Brian Barry-Murphy has called upon homegrown talent such as Cian Ashford, Rubin and Joel Colwill, Ronan Kpakio and Dylan Lawlor, with the ex-Manchester City academy boss showcasing his ability to utilise and cultivate youth.

However, fellow academy graduate Tanatswa Nyakuhwa has struggled for regular minutes, and could leave the Cardiff City Stadium in a loan move this month.

Nyakuhwa has not been a key player for the Bluebirds this term, making just three appearances in League One, all of which have come as a substitute.

The Welsh under-21 international has been earmarked to leave the club on loan for some time now, and Darren Witcoop took to X to reveal that both Newport and Rovers hold an interest in taking Nyakuhwa on loan for the remainder of the campaign in order to boost their respective survival hopes.

The 20-year-old's most recent appearance for the Bluebirds came in their 5-1 defeat to AFC Wimbledon in last month's EFL Trophy knockout clash.

Meanwhile, Nyakuhwa has not made a League One outing since Barry-Murphy's men were defeated 1-0 by Bolton Wanderers on 25 October, putting in a mixed cameo from the bench before Amario Cozier-Duberry's stunning late winner for the Trotters.

He has, however, long been held in a high regard within the blue quarter of south Wales, with Barry-Murphy describing the talented winger as a player who Cardiff 'really value' after electing to keep him in and around the Bluebirds' first-team amid loan interest last summer following a serious injury setback for fellow wide-man Ollie Tanner.

Tanatswa Nyakuhwa can help either Newport County or Bristol Rovers in League Two relegation battle

Christian Fuchs's Newport successfully defeated Crewe Alexandra 2-0 on 29 December, and the Welsh side would have wanted to gain momentum from that triumph.

However, Fuchs's men were instead beaten 2-1 by Bromley on New Year's Day, leaving them two points adrift of safety, while 22nd-place is occupied by Shrewsbury Town.

County clearly need a spark from somewhere to avoid being relegated from League Two, and that could be provided by a loan deal for Cardiff's Nyakuhwa.

The 20-year-old has made four appearances for Wales at Under-21 level, notching one goal and one assist, which proves he could be an asset for Fuchs.

Likewise, Bristol Rovers, who failed to win a game last month, would be glad to obtain the services of a youngster who could improve their attacking output.

The Gas thrashed Shrewsbury 3-0 on New Year's Day, but they are League Two's joint second-lowest scorers this term, having managed just 21 goals in 24 fourth-tier fixtures.

Steve Evans's side may struggle in their next league outing, too, as upcoming opponents Colchester United are just three points adrift of the play-off spots.

Newport, meanwhile, lock horns with 16th-place Gillingham this Saturday, as they vie to earn a second win in just three attempts.