"Better off in the bottom half of the table" - Cardiff City told to move 28-y/o on to Derby County | OneFootball

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

The 28-year-old joined the Rams during the January window, and proved crucial to their promotion push, contributing with one goal and one assist from 17 appearances in League One as Paul Warne’s side earned second place in the table, with his defensive actions being much more important than what he did in the final third.

The midfielder had struggled for game time with parent club Cardiff prior to his move to Pride Park.

With Derby now planning for life back in the Championship, a deal could potentially be negotiated to keep the Gambian with the club beyond this loan spell, with the East Midlands outfit wanting Adams back on a permanent basis, as per The Telegraph's John Percy.

Cardiff City should be open to Ebou Adams sale

FLW’sCardiff fan pundit Ben Johnsey believes that Cardiff should look to cash in on Adams if Derby make an offer this summer.

The Bluebirds supporter has suggested that he is not of the required level needed for the Welsh outfit to compete in the top half of the Championship table.

“I think that Ebou Adams to Derby County definitely makes sense,” Johnsey told Football League World.

“I think he’s a good player, and I was excited to see him come into Cardiff.

“Though he represents a player that is maybe better off in the bottom half of the table - Cardiff are probably looking to move on from that when he had an injury-hit start to his time at Cardiff, which was unfortunate.

“But, in his time at Derby he’s done very well, and if Cardiff are able to get a good fee for that, then it would be a good opportunity for Cardiff to recoup some money.”

Adams made just 11 appearances for Erol Bulut’s side prior to his move to Pride Park in January, including only three starts.

The midfielder joined Cardiff in the summer of 2022 after helping Forest Green Rovers gain promotion from League Two.

However, a pre-season injury where he tore his pectoral muscle prevented him from featuring at all in his first year at the club.

The 28-year-old is now entering the final 12 months of his Cardiff contract, having struggled to earn playing time once back to full fitness.

A permanent sale to Derby could prove an ideal solution to Adams’ future, as the Championship side will want to avoid losing him for nothing in 2025.

Derby County move for Ebou Adams makes sense for all parties

Derby will want to keep as much of Warne’s squad together as possible going into their Championship return.

Adams proved a crucial addition to the squad in January, starting all 17 of his appearances in League One for the club.

Given he is entering the final year of his contract at Cardiff, and he is far down the pecking order of Bulut’s plans, he should be a reasonably affordable signing.

Agreeing a permanent deal this summer could just suit all parties at this stage, so it is a sensible next step following the end of his loan spell.