"Southampton or Ipswich" - Cardiff City: Rubin Colwill prediction made ahead of January transfer window | OneFootball

FLW's Cardiff City fan pundit has given his verdict on whether the club could lose midfielder Rubin Colwill in January.

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…

With the January transfer window fast approaching, Cardiff City supporters may be worried about losing midfielder Rubin Colwill.

Colwill has established himself in the Cardiff first team after coming through the academy, and he was regarded as one of the most exciting young prospects in Welsh football when he made his breakthrough.

Unfortunately for Colwill, he did not receive the game time he would have hoped for under former Bluebirds manager Erol Bulut, which stalled his development, but he has been a regular starter since Omer Riza took caretaker charge in September.

After some outstanding performances in October, most notably in the 5-0 home win over Plymouth Argyle when he scored one goal and provided two assists, he was nominated for the Championship Player of the Month award, but he lost out to Norwich City's Borja Sainz.

As a reward for his club form, Colwill was recalled to the Wales squad during the recent international break, but manager Craig Bellamy stressed the 22-year-old still has "a long way to go", and he admitted that he "would have expected more" from him at this stage of his career.

Cardiff City fan pundit issues Rubin Colwill transfer prediction

Colwill was the subject of interest from elsewhere last summer, with Ipswich Town said to have been keen, and he was even linked with Arsenal, but he remained in South Wales.

When asked if he believes the club will be able to keep hold of Colwill in January, FLW's Cardiff City fan pundit Jack Price said that he was optimistic the midfielder would not be moving on, but he predicted that he may be on the radar of the likes of Southampton and Ipswich.

"It's a tricky one with Rubin Colwill because it's so evident how good he can be and the talent that he has," Jack said.

"I don't think you can never rule out the risk of him leaving.

"What I will say is that, in line with the rest of the team, his performances have deteriorated a bit of late, and I think that might work in our favour when it comes to retaining him in the next window.

"There's a lot of games to be played over the festive period of course, and I think if he can get back to the performance levels we saw against Plymouth, Bristol City and Millwall, then maybe some clubs will come knocking.

"I think we have a decent chance of keeping him until the end of the season at least.

"Colwill would either go to a top Championship team or a low Premier League like a Southampton or Ipswich, and wherever he goes, he's not going to be an instant impact player brought in to save the second half of the season.

"I think he's very much a project and he'd need time, so maybe a January move won't happen.

"I do think our chances of keeping him are definitely strong."

Cardiff City manager uncertainty could impact Rubin Colwill future

No decision has yet been made over the managerial position at Cardiff over two months on from Bulut's exit, and the uncertainty could soon have a negative effect on their January transfer window plans.

Riza flew out to Malaysia for talks with owner Vincent Tan during the international break, but he has still not been handed the job on a full-time basis, which could suggest that the Bluebirds hierarchy have doubts about the caretaker boss.

Colwill has thrived under Riza, but he struggled to perform during Bulut's tenure, so the choice of the next manager will be crucial for the midfielder, and it could have a big impact on his future.

Ipswich were reportedly interested in Colwill in the summer, while Southampton manager Russell Martin described the Welsh international as "a really talented player" after his side's EFL Cup game against Cardiff in August, so as Jack says, it would be no surprise to see either of those clubs come in for him in January.

However, after a strong October, Colwill's form has declined a little in recent weeks, and there are question marks over whether he has done enough to earn a Premier League move just yet.