Cardiff City must strike Rangers FC transfer deal in January - it's 'the biggest no-brainer' | OneFootball

Football League World's resident Cardiff City fan pundit has outlined his dream January signing for the League One promotion hopefuls

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's attention during the summer transfer window revolved around a bullish policy of retaining prized assets, which they managed to do so while adding just three players to the newly-inherited squad at Brian Barry-Murphy's disposal, although the priority come January may be somewhat different if the Bluebirds are to gain promotion back to the Championship at the very first time of asking.

Cian Ashford, Rubin Colwill, Ronan Kpakio, Dylan Lawlor and Alex Robertson, all but one of whom are graduates of Cardiff's increasingly-productive academy system, were all of significant reported interest to clubs in the Championship and beyond, but the Bluebirds stuck to their guns all summer and managed to keep their courted talent within the Welsh capital.

A litany of outgoings were sanctioned, although no players with tangible on-pitch value — with the exception of dependable wide-man Callum O'Dowda — departed the club, and Barry-Murphy, enthused with the squad he had inherited, sought to add no more than three players in Chelsea loanee Omari Kellyman, Gabriel Osho and Nathan Trott.

However, as we edge ever closer to the January transfer window, the exposure of frailties in different areas of the pitch and the natural inconsistencies encountered by the division's youngest squad, culminating in a patchy run of form in recent times, means that reinforcements are necessary if the Bluebirds are intent on remaining firmly within the promotion picture for the campaign's full duration.

Cardiff set the pace at the summit of the League One table with a dominant start to the season, but four defeats from the last seven divisional fixtures — albeit with an impressive EFL Cup charge ahead of next month's quarter-final clash at home to Enzo Maresca's Chelsea — has thrown their promotion ambitions into the balance.

Many supporters are beginning to bang the drum for fresh impetus in wide areas, a particular department in which Barry-Murphy's side have struggled all season.

Ollie Tanner started brightly before suffering a serious ligament injury in August which is poised to keep the pacey winger sidelined until the turn of the year, whereas Chris Willock is also currently out injured and the likes of Ashford, Kellyman and Isaak Davies have all struggled for real consistency to date.

Cardiff City urged to sign Rangers FC's Rabbi Matondo

Football League World asked our resident Cardiff fan pundit, Matt Hall, to describe one player who he would love to see the Bluebirds sign in January. Matt went with Rabbi Matondo, who he tipped to make a return to the Welsh capital nearly ten years on from his departure to join Manchester City's academy at the age of 16.

Born in Liverpool but raised in Tremorfa, Matondo emerged as one of Welsh football's very brightest prospects and has earned 15 senior international caps and counting across what has been a rather mixed career.

Matondo's finest hour came on loan at Cercle Brugge of the Belgian top-flight from Schalke in the 2021/22 campaign, where his 10-goal haul earned what has proved to be a somewhat-ill-fated move to Scottish giants Rangers.

The winger has managed just eight goals from 67 appearances for the Ibrox side, and spent the second-half of the previous campaign on loan in the German second-tier with Hannover 96. Matondo is also currently sidelined with a knee injury, of which a return is expected in the not-too-distant future, and is yet to feature this season in the final year of his contract north of the border, though Matt believes that factor could hand Cardiff a strong opportunity to bring him back to South Wales.

In Matt's view, Matondo's pace and directness would offer a new dimension to Cardiff's frontline, and he has cited a deal for the 25-year-old as a "no-brainer" ahead of the January window.

"For me this is a really easy question, the one player I would absolutely love our club to realistically sign in January is Rabbi Matondo," Matt told FLW.

"[There were] some whispers that it could've happened in the summer. Little things like him putting 'Bluebirds' under Nathan Trott's Instagram after we beat Wrexham, despite them two having no links at all in the past, makes me think that there must be something in it and he must be talking with some of our current players if there was something in the move.

"He's out of contract at Rangers, he's not going to get a sniff of football there. In January, you would be able to either get a loan deal and sign him on a free at the end of the season, or sign him on a really nominal fee.

"As far as what we're missing in this team, we're missing a quick, pacey wide man who is dangerous one-v-one and can get a ball in the box. Rabbi Matondo fits that bill.

"Don't get me wrong, he has limitations — there's a reason why he doesn't play at Rangers — he's had some big moments at Rangers, he's scored in the Champions League and in games against Celtic in the Old Firm derby. But obviously he's just not someone who they see for the future.

"He needs a home and he needs a manager who can really get down and develop him. I think that we would be the right place for that, and he would solve one of the major issues we have in this team.

Soccer Football - Scottish Premiership - Rangers v St Mirren - Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain - October 8, 2022 Rangers' Rabbi Matondo shoots at goal as St Mirren's Marcus Fraser looks on Action Images via Reuters/Ed Sykes

"We get our wingers isolated one-v-one quite a lot, but none of them really take advantage of it. He would be someone who could do that, then you've got Ollie Tanner coming back in January on the other side, and suddenly this team looks a lot more dangerous.

"So, that, for me, would be the biggest no-brainer we could do."

Rangers FC's Rabbi Matondo could light up League One at Cardiff City

Matondo could find himself underwhelmed to potentially end up playing third-tier football at the age of 25 considering the promise and hype which has surrounded his name for quite some time, although the reality is that he must now find a permanent home and restart his career in order to vindicate that potential — even if that means temporarily dropping down a level.

The Wales international's career has been underlined by inconsistency, but he could find that playing in League One under an innovative head coach in Barry-Murphy who would know exactly how to maximise his talent.

Rapid and direct, Matondo's blistering speed and energy would bring a new dynamic to the Bluebirds and he could prove a real handful for just about any League One full-back.