Sam Amo-Ameyaw signs: The dream Cardiff City XI once the transfer window closes | OneFootball

Football League World looks at a potential dream Cardiff City side after February 3

Cardiff City have made one signing thus far in the January transfer window in the form of £3.3 million arrival Yousef Salech, but supporters know Omer Riza needs to make further additions to his squad in order to secure Championship survival this season.

It will be hoped that the arrival of Salech, who has already endeared himself to the City faithful by coming off the bench to score a 97th-minute equaliser in Cardiff's dramatic 2-2 comeback draw at Millwall, will mark the start of increased activity ahead of the window's deadline on February 3.

The striker represents an intriguing acquisition and has already hit the ground running, but more incomings are required to fight off the threat of relegation to League One, which remains a firm possibility in spite of a recent upturn across the turn of the year.

Cardiff, of course, need to make signings which can instantly bolster and strengthen the side at Riza's disposal, and the Bluebirds boss could have a very interesting ideal starting eleven to select from next month - should the right moves be made, that is. Football League World takes a closer look...

GK: Jak Alnwick

One area of the pitch Cardiff surely will decide against electing change in is inbetween the sticks, with Jak Alnwick proving to be a more-than-capable pair of hands since displacing divisive shot-stopper Ethan Horvath earlier on in the campaign.

The 31-year-old, like many of his teammates, will be out of contract at the end of the season and Cardiff may look to explore fresh options when that time comes. Until then, though, one would imagine his place in the side is safe, and with good reason.

RB: Andy Rinomhota

Andy Rinomhota's resurgence, meanwhile, has marked an unprecedented success story as of late, with the ex-Reading man being reinvented as a right-back to great effect.

Rinomhota appeared set to leave Cardiff last summer after spending the second-half of the previous term on loan with 24th-placed Rotherham United and clearly did not score highly in the thinking of former Bluebirds boss Erol Bulut.

However, Riza has brought him in from the cold and Cardiff have reaped the rewards. A defensive midfielder by trade, Rinomhota has been keeping back-to-back Player of the Season Perry Ng out of the side while playing 'out of position'.

Now, Ng really should be his sole competitor for the right-back berth, which is a position Cardiff certainly do not require additional options in.

CB: Dimitros Goutas

You would not expect much change to Riza's backline between now and the conclusion of the window, and, all things considered, Dimitros Goutas has the right-sided centre-back position locked down until next season at the very least.

The three-cap Greek international will celebrate his 31st birthday before the season is up and he's also among the glut of players soon to be out of contract, so it could be worth assessing potential long-term options available on the market - but not just yet.

Goutas has been an ever-present this season and reminded everyone of the colossal set-piece threat in his arsenal, too, by scoring a thumping header from Alex Robertson's corner to wrap up the recent 3-0 south Wales derby demolition of Swansea City.

CB: Jesper Daland

Likewise, Jesper Daland's place in the team also feels safe for the time being, especially following the masterstroke taken to push Calum Chambers up into midfield.

Daland only signed for Cardiff last summer so they will not intend on replacing him anytime soon. However, more will be expected of the Norweigan, who, as a left-footed central defender, possesses real class on the ball but has been subjected to a number of shaky moments throughout the season.

Another option to challenge him, for example, may not be a bad bet for Cardiff, but it's hard to see Daland falling out of Riza's starting side anytime soon.

LB: Callum O'Dowda

There appears to be next to no chance that Cardiff will consider signing a new left-back this month, meaning Callum O'Dowda is sure to retain the starting berth he has held down - injury-permitting - ever since his arrival as a free agent after leaving rivals Bristol City two-and-a-half years ago.

An energetic presence at both ends of the pitch, O'Dowda's dynamism and near-unrivalled dependency anywhere down the left-hand side remains crucial for Cardiff.

Joel Bagan is knocking on that door and now feels every bit an established and capable second-tier full-back, but O'Dowda should still be getting the nod when fully fit.

CM: Calum Chambers

Arguably the defining hallmark of Cardiff's recent upturn has been the emergence of Chambers in central midfield, a position he previously won Fulham's Player of the Season award playing in during the 2018/19 Premier League season.

Chambers arrived last summer as something of a marquee signing from Aston Villa, with much expected of his seasoned top-flight pedigree. But it was not uncommon for teams to exploit his lack of pace and frequently try and play in behind Cardiff, a formula which is now no longer as frequent.

He too had some high-profile wobbles during the first-half of the season, but has been rejuvenated in the middle of the park, a positional change which much better fits his skillset. Chambers is excellent at mopping up loose balls and has the footballing brain to both break up and dictate play, with midfield runners around him helping to get the very best out of the ex-Arsenal defender.

CM: Sivert Mannsverk

According to a recent report from De Telegraaf, Cardiff are set to complete the signing of Ajax midfielder Sivert Mannsverk on a loan deal until the end of the season.

The Bluebirds have been keen to enforce the midfield engine room, with Football League World first reporting a prior interest in Peterborough United captain Hector Kyprianou. But it is Mannsverk who is now poised to join Riza's ranks, with an official announcement of the deal surely not too far away at this stage.

The 22-year-old represents something of an unknown quantity on English shores but appears to fit the bill of the more-combative midfield profile to partner Chambers - while being more conservative in possession to hand the license for star playmaker Alex Robertson to push further forward and make late runs into the box in his advanced midfield role.

Mannsverk brings interesting pedigree, having featured 18 times for Ajax since arriving from Norweigan side Molde in September 2023 - where he had been regarded as an outstanding prospect. Regular game-time has been harder to come by with the Dutch giants, but the midfielder will now hope to kick on with his career at Cardiff, who could benefit from his profile in the middle of the park.

CM: Alex Robertson

Cardiff may well look to elect change deeper in midfield, but Alex Robertson's place in the side will undoubtedly remain intact. It should, truth be told, stay that way until the ex-Manchester City prospect moves on to pastures new, which is a natural reality if he continues to fulfil his rich potential.

Robertson signed from City back in the summer and has proved an outstandingly-shrewd addition, injecting a sense of class and composure into the side's midfield. He's very much a Rolls-Royce in the middle of the park, it must be said, and is continuing to go from strength-to-strength in what is shaping up to be a dazzling debut campaign.

The 21-year-old has been deployed as an advanced number-eight as of late, with Riza looking to utilise his creative, ball-playing qualities higher up the pitch. It's paid dividends, of course, with Robertson often a cut above midfield opponents powerless to subdue his classy quality in possession.

He also offers a real goal threat from midfield with both late runs into the box and strikes from range core parts of his weaponry. It likely goes without saying, but Cardiff will only be intent on building the team around the former Portsmouth loan star instead of replacing him.

RW: Cian Ashford

In line with Cardiff's recent - and relative, it must be said - ascent, a number of players have been reinvented and thrust into importance, and Cian Ashford is certainly one.

The City academy product enjoyed a mini-breakthrough under Bulut at the back-end of last season but had been on the periphery for much of the current campaign.

That was, of course, until last month, where his goal off the bench in an otherwise-drab Boxing Day defeat at Oxford United provided positivity, food for thought and a springboard for him to really kick-start what may just turn out to be a glittering career in the Welsh capital.

Ashford went on to grab assists in consecutive matches against Watford and Coventry City before scoring back to back against Sheffield United in the FA Cup and the Hornets on their visit to south Wales, with that stunning run of form seemingly solidifying his place as a starter on the right of Riza's front three.

The 20-year-old is abundantly talented and marries his goal threat with real energy, intensity and pace wide-right, offering a profile that just is not really presented by any of Cardiff's alternative wing options.

ST: Callum Robinson

Despite the arrival of Salech, Robinson still has to be considered as the side's first-choice striker for the time being.

Prior to Salech's last-grasp equaliser at Millwall, Robinson was the only Cardiff striker to have scored a league goal this season and has more goals and assists at Championship level than anyone else in the squad, having built up a solid second-tier reputation with the likes of Preston North End and West Brom.

In a struggling side, while seldom completing the full 90 minutes due to the necessity of carefully managing his fitness, Robinson has scored eleven league goals already and ranks among the most prolific strikers in the division for both goals and in terms of his goals to games ratio.

Salech should continue to alleviate the goalscoring burden shouldered by the Republic of Ireland international, who does need to be rotated in this side due to fitness, but when match-ready he will likely remain Cardiff's talisman up top.

LW: Sam Amo-Ameyaw

To finish off, Cardiff have designs to utilise the Premier League loan market this month after neglecting to do so back in the summer and are accordingly keen on bolstering the wide options at Riza's disposal, as per reports.

That means Southampton winger Sam Amo-Ameyaw, who has recently been made available for loan by Saints boss Ivan Juric, is certainly worth considering as we head into the latter stages of this month's window.

The 18-year-old enjoyed a handful of promising cameo appearances for the Saints under Russell Martin last term but has struggled to gain a look-in at Premier League level, playing just 26 minutes of top-flight football.

He did, however, turn out a stunning goalscoring display against the Bluebirds to help Southampton's exhilarating 5-3 EFL Cup second-round victory at the Cardiff City Stadium earlier this season, subjecting the aforementioned Bagan to a rather difficult evening.

Tricky and direct, Amo-Ameyaw can operate on either flank and is blessed with the pace and one-v-one qualities which are lacking in City's attack, particularly on the left-hand side.