Harry Souttar features: 3 perfect PL loan signings Cardiff City should already be eyeing | OneFootball

Cardiff City will want to improve on this season's top-half finish in the Championship, and some big summer signings will be needed in order to do that.

The Bluebirds finished in 12th place in the league. This was an improvement on the previous campaign, but was a disappointment as the club were challenging for the top six in the first half of the season.

In order to build upon their decent season under Erol Bulut, the South Wales club will need to make a number of signings, in order to strengthen the club enough for a sustained push for the play-off places.

With money tight, the club will likely need to make more loan signings to help cover up the cracks in the squad. They should look to the Premier League to sign these players, with three options they could move for in the next transfer window.

Liam Delap

Man City

Following on from an impressive loan spell at Hull City this season, Cardiff would do well to sign Manchester City's Liam Delap on a season-long loan deal.

Quite what Hull's own recruitment plans look like, following the sacking of Liam Rosenier as manager of the club, remains to be seen. This sacking was despite an impressive season, where Delap netted eight times to help the club finish in seventh place in the table.

He would definitely help bolster a disappointing Cardiff attack. Fans saw the Bluebirds net just 53 times in the league this season, the least of all the clubs in the top half. The club's top scorer only netted six times, less than Delap managed at Hull, despite Jaden Philogene being the club's star goalscorer. By giving Delap the chance to lead the line as the main man again, the Bluebirds can help get the most out of the Man City striker, while also improving their own attack. The elephant in the room is, of course, a £10m fee Man City have reportedly slapped on the striker and that getting triggered somewhere else.

Harry Souttar

Leicester City

The defender struggled for game-time at Leicester City in the Championship, so it's hard to believe that he'd be trusted in the heart of defence playing in the Premier League next season. His reported £40,000 per week estimated wages may put off some clubs looking to buy him permanently, so a season-long move to Cardiff could be an ideal move for all parties.

Souttar would benefit playing regular football, as Nat Phillips did this season on loan from Liverpool. A return to form could attract clubs to fork over a transfer fee for his services, something which seems unlikely after just three league appearances in the last campaign.

He showed at Stoke how good he is in the Championship. Souttar was among the top players in the Championship for tackles won, duels won, and aerial duels won, and his impressive passing accuracy will help the Bluebirds build out from the back, should he join the club on loan in the summer.

The club relied on Phillips in defence in the second half of the season. Replacing him with Souttar would prove a good replacement, and could help Erol Bulut's side push towards a top-six finish next year.

Dane Scarlett

Tottenham

Dane Scarlett shooting against Burnley

While a risk, a move for Dane Scarlett could prove a cut-priced way to add more goals to Bulut's side. The Tottenham Hotspur striker spent the first half of the season on loan at Ipswich Town, but was recalled at Christmas after struggling for game time.

However, he showed glimpses of talent while on loan at Portsmouth last year. At the age of just 18, he scored four times in League One for Pompey, showing he can find the net if given chances in the team.

Now with an extra year of experience, and having made more cameo appearances for Spurs, Cardiff could offer Scarlett guaranteed game time and a chance to further progress as a striker in the Championship.