Cardiff City and Bradford City should consider move to sign ex-Luton Town star | OneFootball

League One promotion challengers Bradford City and Cardiff City should look at signing former Luton Town midfielder Allan Campbell.

The January transfer window is fast approaching and clubs across the EFL will be seeking reinforcements with an extremely competitive promotion race in League One particularly up for grabs, perhaps by whoever produces a genius bit of business this winter.

However, one player that is available outside of that window as a free agent and would seemingly be a bit of an under the radar coup for third-tier promotion contenders Bradford City and Cardiff City especially would be former Luton Town midfielder Allan Campbell.

Following their relegation from the Championship last season, surprise appointment Brian Barry-Murphy has led Cardiff to a very strong start to League One with a complete revamp of their playing style led by a raft of academy graduates.

The Bluebirds have hit a bit of a rocky patch in terms of their performance level over the last month or so, but they remain firmly in contention for the title this season.

Bradford City gained promotion in dramatic fashion in the last minute of the final day of the League Two campaign in May and now the Bantams, under the experienced management of Graham Alexander, are aiming for back-to-back promotions.

Like Cardiff, Bradford made a blistering start to the campaign and have done more than enough to suggest that they are there to stay at the top end of the division but, like Cardiff, things have begun to dip of late.

Both Cardiff and Bradford are in the mix but both clubs could do with just something extra to re-energise their promotion pushes – and one man that they should try to sign is Campbell.

Allan Campbell would help Cardiff with experience in midfield

Having joined Dundee United mid-way through last season and helped leave the Arabs to UEFA Europa Conference League qualification, Allan Campbell has been without a club since the summer.

The versatile 27-year-old Glasgow-born midfielder has a fair bit of EFL experience and has been very highly-rated in the past, even earning a Scotland cap back in 2022.

Cardiff have a very young squad and a bit of experience and depth in the middle of the park wouldn’t go amiss, and Campbell would certainly be capable of providing that.

As he has shown during his time at Motherwell and then initially at Luton Town, Campbell can be a crafty and silky player when he wants to be, which would be suited to the way in which Cardiff play, with an almost extreme brand of possession-based football.

However, he has also gained a reputation for playing with a bit of aggression and bite, which, again, would surely be desired by such a young Cardiff squad.

Cardiff could also do with a bit more depth in the middle of the park, and especially in the role in which Campbell plays, as, whilst versatile, he does lean more to being a defensive-minded midfielder.

Barry-Murphy’s style has contributed to it but a general lack of options, at least mobile options, for that sort of box-to-box midfield position has led to players playing out of position, albeit admirably, such as Joel Colwill.

Campbell would allow Colwill to play a bit more freely and a bit higher up the pitch, whilst also providing Cardiff with an added bit of industry and endeavour in one of the lighter parts of their squad.

Allan Campbell can provide quality depth for Bradford

The step up from League Two to League One is perhaps the smallest in the EFL, and Bradford have been the latest club to mount an immediate tilt towards the top.

They did some excellent business over the summer and brought in a fair bit of experience across the park to back up that view that they are there to stay in the promotion race.

Max Power was one of those experienced players brought in and the former Wigan Athletic man has been named captain at Valley Parade, but there isn’t too much depth to either cover for or go alongside Power in that role.

Jenson Metcalfe is there, and he has been a steady addition since joining from Everton, whilst the other midfield options are all more forward-thinking players, who have a lot of merit, such as Alex Pattison, Antoni Sarcevic, Tommy Leigh and Bobby Pointon.

George Lapslie is another midfielder who provides good quality and pedigree in the middle, as well as an ability to get forward, but another box-to-box midfielder would certainly be one of the key areas of improvement for Bradford over the winter.

Campbell’s tenacity and aggression, as well as that technical quality to get forward, seems like ideal fit for the robust but flexible system and style of Alexander.

Alexander wanted some higher level experience to be brought in over the summer and Campbell is someone who would certainly help further raise the floor of City, having been someone who was a key cog for a team that gained promotion to the Premier League just a couple of years ago.