Any club can sign these 8 Cardiff City players for £0 this summer | OneFootball

Football League World looks at the Cardiff City players who are out of contract this summer and could be available for other clubs on a free transfer

Cardiff City are faced with a number of key contractual decisions to make ahead of the summer, where up to eight senior players are currently set to see their deals expire.

The Bluebirds acted shrewdly to tie Republic of Ireland international duo Callum O’Dowda and Callum Robinson, the latter of whom is the side’s leading goalscorer in 24/25, to fresh contracts earlier this month.

However, they have several more big calls to make in the coming weeks and months. Football League World has duly taken a look at the eight Cardiff players who, as things stand, will be available on free transfers after the end of the current campaign.

Dimitrios Goutas

Cardiff would surely like to retain the services of Dimitrios Goutas, who is approaching the end of the two-year deal he signed to join from Sivasspor in the summer of 2023.

The 30-year-old has been a cornerstone of City’s back line for the last two seasons and is perhaps the only commanding physical presence currently at Omer Riza’s disposal in terms of his central defensive options.

Goutas has underlined his importance in recent months but his future remains up in the air, and the three-cap Greek international would likely have no shortage of suitors if he decided to run down his contract.

Anwar El Ghazi

It’s difficult to ascertain just what the outcome will be with Anwar El Ghazi. The experienced winger signed a one-year contract with the club last summer, making a return to football after nearly a year out of action amid a successful legal dispute with his last employers, Mainz.

El Ghazi’s stay in the Welsh capital has been rather inconsistent, mind you. A divisive figure among supporters, the ex-Aston Villa ace has shown his pedigree and experience on more than one occasion but has perhaps fallen short of having the desired impact overall.

He was, after all, hotly tipped to be a game-changer in Cardiff’s attack but has faced increased competition from the likes of Cian Ashford and gifted Leicester City loanee Will Alves in recent weeks.

A crucial couple of months now awaits, one would imagine.

Yakou Meite

On the other hand, it surely looks as though Yakou Meite’s two-year stay with Cardiff will come to an end this summer.

Meite also tends to divide opinion and has been the subject of significant online criticism from a handful of supporters this season.

For one reason or another, it simply hasn’t worked out for the former Reading attacker ever since his switch to Cardiff.

The 29-year-old has redeeming qualities in his pace, power and directness when running at defenders but the bottom line is his return in front of goal has been nowhere near good enough.

Meite scored twice in his first season and has found the back of the net just once this time around, having struggled for a consistent starting berth under Riza.

Unless something drastically changes, a parting of ways feels best for all parties.

Isaak Davies

You could argue that Isaak Davies faces a rather uncertain future at Cardiff, too.

A product of the Bluebirds academy system, the striker impressed under Steve Morison during the 2021/22 campaign but has been hit by recurring injury setbacks.

In between a 12-goal season on loan with sister club KV Kortrijk of the Belgian Pro League last term, Davies has barely kicked a ball for Cardiff since his breakout season. He had been poised to lead the line before being struck down by a serious hamstring injury in pre-season, which he is only now returning from.

The 23-year-old has strong competition for a starting spot from the likes of Callum Robinson and Yousef Salech, although the pacey forward’s ability to play out wide does swing in his favour.

Nonetheless, Cardiff may need a clean bill of health and a return of a small handful of goals between now and the end of the season to justify extending Davies’ terms. His ability and potential are both of little doubt, of course.

Joe Ralls

Meanwhile, one player who looks sure to be staying on is Joe Ralls.

Now aged 31, the midfield stalwart has been with the Bluebirds since the age of 16 and has chalked up more than 400 appearances.

The skipper signed a new deal last year to take him up to this coming summer, which includes an appearance-based one-year extension.

Ralls has been in and out of the side this season but remains a hugely important and dependable squad player, meaning his stay in south Wales will surely not be coming to an end anytime soon.

Aaron Ramsey

Aaron Ramsey’s long-term future - and whether it should be at Cardiff - remains a topic of much discussion, although the former Arsenal star has made no secret of his desire to stay on and earn a new deal as his current contract nears conclusion.

Ramsey, who has been plagued by injuries ever since his hotly-anticipated return to Cardiff in the summer of 2023, admitted no talks have yet taken place surrounding a new deal.

Those conversations will likely happen once the season finishes and Cardiff know just what division they will be playing in come August.

The 34-year-old has missed large chunks of this season through injury and has only recently returned to Riza’s side. Ramsey is still more than capable of dictating games at this level - his passing range and pedigree are at a different class, of course - but the real question remains about whether he can sustain a run of games and avoid any further setbacks.

Jamilu Collins

Jamilu Collins, however, will certainly move on in the summer - if his deal is not terminated by mutual consent by that stage.

A favourite of Erol Bulut’s, the Nigerian international left-back has been in near-complete exile under Riza. Collins, who played 37 times for City last season, has not featured in a matchday squad since the 1-0 home defeat to Preston North End on December 11 despite not being injured, with academy players such as Luey Giles usurping him in Riza’s pecking order.

Collins was still named in Cardiff’s 25-man squad for the remainder of the season but could be offloaded. Riza has suggested that ending Collins’ contract prematurely could be an option after failing to find a permanent suitor in January, and it’s perhaps one which both parties should be looking to make happen.

He’s a million miles out from the first-team picture and that situation is unlikely to change.

Andy Rinomhota

In complete contrast, mind you, Andy Rinomhota has enjoyed an unprecedented renaissance in a Bluebirds shirt and that should see him rewarded with a new deal.

The ex-Reading man's future looked to be in doubt when Bulut farmed him out to Rotherham United on loan last season, with Rinomhota powerless to prevent the Millers' relegation to League One.

But Rinomhota is one of a number of players to have been rejuvenated by the appointment of Riza. He has forced his way back into the first-team frame and has enjoyed notable success in a makeshift right-back role, excelling there well enough to keep two-time Player of the Year winner Perry Ng out of the side.

Rinomhota is a source of consistency, dependability and versatility, three attributes which this Cardiff side perhaps does not have enough of across the board. He's a real favourite among supporters right now, and it would be a shame if Cardiff opted against putting a new contract on the table.