Burnley facing Cardiff City transfer blow involving ex-Rangers star | OneFootball

Cardiff City have joined the race to sign ex-Rangers winger Rabbi Matondo following recent links to Championship rivals Burnley

Burnley could be facing a potential blow after securing the signing of ex-Leicester City star Jamie Vardy, with another courted free-agent potentially poised to land elsewhere in the Championship as Cardiff City explore a swoop for Rabbi Matondo's services.

The Clarets have endured a difficult start to the 2026/27 campaign following relegation from the Premier League, leaving freshly-appointed boss Nicky Heyen with three draws, three defeats and no victories to show for his opening six matches in charge of league action.

It's the same story at Cardiff City, though, who represent the only other winless Championship outfit at this moment in time and could now deal a fresh blow for Burnley after joining the race for Matondo's signature as a potential out-of-window capture beckons.

Cardiff City join Burnley in Rabbi Matondo transfer race

Burnley have identified the free-agent market as an opportunity to offset their early second-tier struggles, having already turned heads with the shock signing of legendary striker Vardy over the weekend.

At the start of this week, the Clarets were credited with an interest in Matondo by Pete O'Rourke via X, with the reporter also citing competition from two Belgian top-flight clubs in Cercle Brugge and Zulte Waregem.

It has now emerged, however, that they are facing the new threat of seeing Matondo land at a Championship rival instead after O'Rourke reported on Wednesday evening that Cardiff are firmly in the hunt for the 15-cap Welsh international following his departure from Norweigan side Brann last month.

As per O'Rourke's latest update, Cardiff head coach Brian Barry-Murphy is a "big fan" of the pacey winger, who emerged through the Bluebirds' youth setup before joining Manchester City as a teenager without making a senior appearance for either club and could look to bring him back to South Wales following a tricky couple of years.

Sheffield United could have landed Rabbi Matondo instead of Cardiff City or Burnley

Matondo looks set to make a return to the Championship after previously spending time on loan with Stoke City during the second-half of the 2020/21 campaign, and his signature has attracted no shortage of suitors in recent times.

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Back in the summer, the ex-Rangers starlet underwent a trial at Sheffield United in an effort to find a new club and went as far as featuring in three of the Blades' pre-season outings, although Chris Wilder eventually confirmed his side's decision to move on from the idea of potentially sealing a deal.

That left Matondo in the lurch, having made only three appearances over a brief spell in Norway after leaving Rangers by mutual consent in March of this year, yet he could soon find a landing spot in the second-tier and it appears as though Cardiff are now making the biggest play to complete a move for the wide-man.

Matondo will be eager to seize a permanent home and rebuild his career, which has struggled to get going over the last few campaigns amid a string of derailing injury setbacks.

Cardiff City would benefit from beating Burnley to Rabbi Matondo transfer

It's all new interest, but there has long been clamour among Cardiff fans for the Bluebirds to eventually return Matondo to South Wales under the impression that the Tremorfa native has unfinished business in these quarters, and with his career now beckoning at a clear crossroads, it could be the right time to finally make this homecoming happen for all parties.

Cardiff's activity in the summer and inability to sign more than two players who hadn't been at the club in League One last season in the form of only Krystian Bielik and Jack Moylan served as a source of bitter frustration for City supporters, who were left to lick their wounds when the window passed without the Bluebirds adding fresh quality and dynamism in the wide areas.

Matondo, of course, would offer exactly that, with his electric speed capable of offering a new dimension to a Cardiff attack that has often been rather blunt and short of strength in depth since returning to the second-tier at the very first time of asking and losing ex-Chelsea loan sensation Omari Kellyman

The ex-Man City prospect has struggled for both fitness and consistency throughout his career, though he remains an exciting talent at full throttle and could be a shrewd addition free of charge if Cardiff can see off any remaining threat from Burnley and seal his services outside of the window.