Cardiff City have been informed that they will be able to replace Callum O’Dowda and Callum Robinson if they depart the club this summer.
The Bluebirds had a horrible season last time out, finishing last in the Championship and were relegated to third division football for the first time in more than 20 years.
| Championship Table 2024/25 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | P | GD | Pts | |
| 21 | Hull City | 46 | -10 | 49 |
| 22 | Luton Town (R) | 46 | -24 | 49 |
| 23 | Plymouth Argyle (R) | 46 | -37 | 46 |
| 24 | Cardiff City (R) | 46 | ||
Unsurprisingly, this has resulted in change in the summer, with Brian Barry-Murphy selected as the new manager, tasked with leading Cardiff to promotion this season.
Callum O’Dowda and Callum Robinson have uncertain Cardiff City futures.
Cardiff, like any other demoted team, will have to balance the books after relegation, and those monies can assist Barry-Murphy bring in the players he wants as he seeks to establish his own team.
As a result, departures are on the cards, with sources claiming that O’Dowda and Robinson are interested in playing for Championship clubs.
That is not surprising given that the duo has spent the most of their careers at that level, making them established performers.
With promotion on the agenda, there will be an argument that Cardiff should build around players like O’Dowda and Robinson, who can help the squad win results and bounce back.
However, when asked by FLW about the interest in the two and the money required to lure them away, Cardiff fan pundit Matt Hall maintained they are replaceable, indicating that a combined £4 million for O’Dowda and Robinson would be good business.
“I’m not surprised that those two are interested in championships. To be honest, I’m not particularly opposed to selling them. They’re both presumably at the age where they’ve just reached the pinnacle of their careers.
“I believe you could get £3-4 million for Robinson, given his two-year contract and goal record. That would be a terrific sale for us; we already have Yousef Salech.
“With O’Dowda, you’re probably looking at £1 to £1.5 million. He has three years on his contract, which I don’t think we should have given him; it’s a little too long. He’s in a predicament where he may not be technical enough for Barry-Murphy’s style, but he’s also a left-back or left-winger who isn’t a specialist in either, so we could definitely do better.
“When you consider that and the prices, I believe they would be terrific offers for us. We’ll have to offload some. Mehmet Dalman has already stated that some money needs to come in, and if it were those two, I believe it would be totally okay, as we likely have ready-made replacements at the club.”
Cardiff City must support Brian Barry-Murphy this summer
Many Bluebirds fans will welcome a change this summer, as what happened last season, from the players to the management and, of course, the hierarchy, was simply unacceptable.
Barry-Murphy’s appointment was risky, and now it’s time to back him up as much as possible, even if he wants to make significant changes.
If this implies that some senior figures may go, that must happen. Equally, if the manager wants O’Dowda and Robinson to stay, other players can leave.
So, a big summer beckons, and it will be interesting to watch how the Cardiff XI looks when the new season begins in August.
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