Connolly in, Robinson out: The dream start to Cardiff City's summer transfer window | OneFootball

This summer looks to be another busy one for Cardiff City, with some big holes in the squad needing to be filled.

The Bluebirds improved on last year's 21st place finish in the Championship with a top half finish. This would be a great achievement for Erol Bulut's side, had they not been challenging for a place in the play-offs earlier in the season.

With the future of the manager up in the air, any transfer business will likely have to wait until a new deal is agreed. It looks as though owner Vincent Tan wants Bulut to stay, but comments earlier on in the season show that he may be looking for a way out of Cardiff once his contract comes to end in the summer.

However, we cannot look past the transfer window. With the club likely wanting to improve on this year's mid-table finish, they will want to invest in the squad in order to push for a play-off spot and potentially a third promotion to the Premier League.

In lieu of that, we'll take a look at two dream transfers Cardiff would love to make at the start of the summer transfer window. This includes one dream transfer in, and one transfer out that the Bluebirds would love to see exit the club as soon as possible.

In: Aaron Connolly

As the lowest scorers in the top half of the Championship, Cardiff need to add a new striker to the squad in the summer. Kion Etete was the club's highest-scoring centre-forward with six goals in the league this year, an abysmal record for a club that was challenging for the top six at one point in the campaign.

If the Bluebirds want to kick off the summer right, the budget signing of Aaron Connolly would be the perfect addition for the club. Connolly's deal with Hull City expires in the summer, and would be available on a free transfer.

Connolly signed a one-year deal with the Tigers in the summer, after joining the club from Brighton. He previously spent time on loan at Hull, but his reluctance to sign a long-term deal may indicate he is looking at his options once that deal comes to an end.

His eight goals this season were an impressive haul, especially considering he only started 13 times in the Championship. If game time is the issue at his current club, the promise of first team football could be enough to convince Connolly to join Cardiff.

Out: Callum Robinson

Goals were a big issue for Cardiff this season, with Callum Robinson being a big part in the Bluebirds' struggles in front of goal. They scored just 53 times in the league this campaign, with their highest scorer only netted six times.

The club's strikers struggled to find the net, with Robinson showing the biggest drop-off from last year. He scored eight times last year, compared to just two league goals for Cardiff in a disappointing campaign. Injuries did affect his time on the pitch, with Robinson playing 23 times in the league, mainly from the bench. However, he did not earn his spot in the team when fit, disappointing when given a chance to start for the team.

It is clear that Robinson did not fit in well in Bulut's side, with his lack of minutes when fit showing how the manager sees his role in the team. Robinson is one of the top earners in the team, netting £20,000 per week, according to Capology estimates, despite his lack of minutes in the side. Getting his wages off the books will allow the club to bring in players who will contribute to the team, adding some much-needed goals to the side.