Cardiff City join Plymouth Argyle in transfer race for League One midfielder | OneFootball

Cardiff City have ushered in another new era this summer following Sabri Lamouchi's efforts to keep the club in the Championship by bringing Erol Bulut to the club as their new head coach.

Bulut is the Bluebirds' fifth new appointment since January 2021 and he arrives in the Welsh capital in uncertain times when it comes to how the club can operate in the transfer market.

Under the terms of a transfer embargo imposed by the EFL, Cardiff aren't allowed to pay a fee for players until the summer of 2024, although they have appealed this a number of months ago.

That could potentially affect them signing the latest player that they have been linked to signing as according to Football Insider, the Bluebirds have joined this season's divisional rivals Plymouth Argyle in the race to sign Burton Albion midfielder Terry Taylor.

Who is Terry Taylor?

Taylor is a product of the Wolverhampton Wanderers academy, having swapped Aberdeen for Molineux as a teenager in 2017.

Having made his Wolves debut in the EFL Cup in 2019, Taylor went out on loan in the 2020-21 season to League Two outfit Grimsby Town, featuring 14 times before being recalled by his parent club.

He then joined Burton Albion on a permanent basis in February 2021 but took a while to get settled with the Brewers as he wasn't a first-choice starter from the off, and his 2021-22 campaign was disrupted by injury and illness.

Taylor started to cement himself in the starting 11 though in the 2022-23 campaign and managed to notch four assists for Albion in 26 League One matches as their primary set-piece taker, but in February his season was curtailed due to an ankle injury which he had to undergo surgery to repair.

What is Terry Taylor's situation at Burton Albion?

A regular for Wales' under-21 squad with 10 caps to his name, Taylor is coming to the end of his contract at the Pirelli Stadium with his two-and-a-half year deal with Burton expiring at the end of June.

That means he can technically depart on a free transfer, although the fact that there is an offer on the table from the club and being 21 years of age means that Albion will be entitled to a compensation fee for his services should he depart.

And it's that particular caveat that could scupper Cardiff's plot to sign Taylor as they'd need to pay some money to Burton as compensation, which they would probably not be allowed to do unless their embargo was lifted.

Would Terry Taylor be a good signing for Cardiff City?

If Bulut decides to use a formation that incorporates three midfielders then Taylor would be a useful asset to have at the base of the engine room.

However, he does have options available to him already with Joe Ralls, Andy Rinomhota, Ryan Wintle and Ebou Adams - who is still yet to make his Cardiff debut - among the squad, as well as Romaine Sawyers.

Does Taylor fit in therefore at the Bluebirds? It's hard to say, but there would arguably need to be departures if there is to be room for the Wales under-21 international.