Cardiff City: Callum O'Dowda set to secure European transfer move amid Hull City & Oxford United interest | OneFootball

The winger turned left-back is heading towards a move away from the Bluebirds.

Callum O'Dowda is set to leave Cardiff City this summer, with a move to a European club on the cards.

Heavy interest in relegated teams' top talents is to be expected, and the Bluebirds are not exempt from this after they dropped out of the Championship. A number of their best players are being scouted by clubs from higher tiers, one of them being O'Dowda.

The Irishman has been with the club for the past three years since leaving Bristol City as a free agent. They had flirted with relegation once before in O'Dowda's spell at the Cardiff City Stadium, but they were unable to avoid it last time out and ended up finishing dead last.

The 30-year-old is now the subject of major transfer interest from abroad, and is edging closer to completing a move away from the Welsh capital, according to Wales Online.

Cardiff have looked to trim down their squad this summer, and released nine players when their contracts expired at the end of June, but losing O'Dowda will leave them with a major issue to fix.

Callum O'Dowda set for imminent Cardiff City exit in European transfer switch

A natural winger but having played as a left-back throughout a lot of his time with the Bluebirds, O'Dowda's seemingly imminent departure will leave new boss Brian Barry-Murphy seriously short on the left side of defence.

O'Dowda hasn't been involved in pre-season training so far, as per Wales Online. His contract, which he signed earlier this year, runs until the summer of 2028, which means that City would have been able to charge a decent fee to the unnamed foreign club that are set to poach the Irishman away from them.

Oxford United, one of his former clubs, had been linked with him earlier in the summer, as per the Irish Examiner, whilst Hull City were also reportedly keen on him.

He started 41 games for the club last season and directly contributed to five goals. Unfortunately, one of their big problems was keeping the ball out of their own net. O'Dowda was only involved in five matches where the Bluebirds kept clean sheets last season.

On top of this frustrating move, Cardiff supporters' woes about the club's current lack of activity in the transfer market are set to be intensified. Wales Online have also reported that no signings are expected to be made while the first team is away in Spain for a pre-season training camp.

Cardiff City are stuck in a major rut - Callum O'Dowda leaving doesn't help them

City are yet to get off the mark with their summer incomings as they look to prepare for life in the English third tier for the first time since the EFL was rebranded in 2004.

And the poaching of one of Cardiff's key contributors, who has not long penned a new long-term deal with the club, and the limited prospect of new arrivals coming on board in the near future make for pretty negative reading for those in the Welsh capital.

It's largely been a summer of disappointment so far in the Welsh capital.

Before Barry-Murphy was appointed, Cardiff missed out on bringing in boyhood Bluebird Nathan Jones from Charlton Athletic, following a very public attempt to poach the promotion-winner from The Valley.