Fresh claim made on Ronan Kpakio and Dylan Lawlor's Cardiff City situation as Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool plot deals | OneFootball

A host of top Premier League clubs are believed to be tracking Cardiff City duo Ronan Kpakio and Dylan Lawlor.

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…

Cardiff City have been backed to retain Ronan Kpakio and Dylan Lawlor beyond the January transfer window despite interest from some top clubs in England, which includes Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool.

The Bluebirds have enjoyed a brilliant season so far under Brian Barry-Murphy, with the 3-2 win over Huddersfield last time out keeping them at the top of League One.

It's not just the positive results that have made Cardiff such a force, as the new boss has implemented a stylish brand of football, and he has focused on youth to build this exciting new project in the Welsh capital.

Kpakio and Lawlor are among those to have benefited from Barry-Murphy’s decision to turn to youth, with the academy duo having established themselves as important players this season.

Ronan Kpakio and Dylan Lawlor attracting Premier League transfer interest

As well as impressing for Cardiff, the pair have forced their way into Craig Bellamy’s plans for Wales, and there is a chance they could be going to the World Cup next year if they can win the play-offs in March.

So, it’s perhaps no surprise that Kpakio and Lawlor are starting to attract plenty of transfer interest, with recent reports claiming that a whole host of clubs are tracking the players.

It’s said that Chelsea, Arsenal, Man City, Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are just some of the clubs looking at Lawlor. Meanwhile, the ‘majority of Premier League clubs’ are keeping tabs on Kpakio.

Naturally, that will concern some Cardiff fans, as it can be difficult to retain players when clubs of that calibre show an interest.

Yet, when quizzed on the prospect of Kpakio or Lawlor leaving, Cardiff fan pundit Matt Hall made it clear to FLW that he has no worries about losing the teenagers in January, although he admits it could be a different story in the summer.

“I have next to no concerns about them leaving in January. Obviously, you look at the clubs, they’re massive clubs, but to derail our season halfway through, I don’t think any money is worth it.

“They’re not going to lose value if we keep them for another six months, so I don’t see the point in us selling in a window where it would be hard to get replacements in.

“You could maybe see a club purchasing them with a loan back for six months, but it’s disruptive and not what you would look to have in a promotion charge.

“I also think from the perspective of the players themselves, it’s a World Cup year for Wales, and they are in the Welsh squad, and you could argue that a lot of why they’re in the squad is down to what they have done in a Cardiff shirt, right in front of the nose of the FAW and Craig Bellamy.

“To go and play academy football for Chelsea or Liverpool, is that going to really benefit them? They might make the bench here and there, or play in the third round of the FA Cup if they get a League Two side at home.

“But, if another Welsh player has a great end to the season, and one of these two are sat in the reserves, their place with Wales may be under threat.

“So I’m not concerned about January, but the summer is a different story, although I do think we’ve got an advantage in that these boys are Cardiff fans, they have family who are fans, they are Welsh. You listen to Lawlor say if he wasn’t in the team, he’d be in the away end. These are players who will not be desperate to get out of the club. It’s every Cardiff fans dream to play for the club, so I’m not massively concerned just yet.”

Cardiff City is the right place for Ronan Kpakio and Dylan Lawlor at the moment

Firstly, it’s great for Cardiff that they have managed to produce two academy talents, like Kpakio and Lawlor, and all who helped them on their journey deserve credit.

That includes Barry-Murphy, as he has shown a lot of trust in the pair, and Cardiff are reaping the benefits on the pitch, and they are likely to command big fees in the future.

Most would agree with the comments above that Kpakio and Lawlor would benefit from staying with the Bluebirds right now, as they wouldn’t get game time in the Premier League.

Obviously, they may outgrow Cardiff one day, particularly if the Welsh side fail to reach the top-flight in the coming years, but they are still learning and developing as players, and Barry-Murphy is the right boss to help them grow.

We know that money talks, but it would be a huge shock if a move materialised in January, as Kpakio and Lawlor will be determined to take Cardiff back to the Championship.