Cardiff City set to hijack Sunderland transfer but won't see new player until 2025/26 season | OneFootball

Roko Simic is set to sign for Cardiff City from Red Bull Salzburg - but he won't be playing for the Bluebirds until next season

Cardiff City are poised to complete the signing of Roko Simic from Red Bull Salzburg ahead of Friday evening's 11pm deadline.

According to a recent report from WalesOnline on Thursday morning, Cardiff have beaten off a number of club - including Sunderland, who were in talks with the forward themselves - to land the highly-regarded Croatia youth international.

The Blurbirds signed Wilfried Kanga on a season-long loan deal from Hertha Berlin earlier in the summer but have been in the market for additional options at the top-end of the pitch, with both Isaak Davies and Kion Etete suffering long-term injury setbacks in pre-season.

It has been a fundamentally positive window at face value for the Bluebirds, who have added the likes of Anwar El Ghazi, Chris Willock, Calum Chambers and Alex Robertson among others to the ranks following a 12th-placed finish in Erol Bulut's first full season in charge.

Cardiff's most recent acquisitions have been defensive ones in Jesper Daland and Will Fish to offset the departure of Mark McGuinness to Luton Town, but the Bluebirds have always intended to further address their attacking stable this summer.

Cardiff City set to sign Roko Simic amid Sunderland transfer interest

It is reported that Cardiff's capture of Simic will be completed on a permanent basis, with City having opted to conduct permanent, long-term deals as opposed to relying too much on the loan market under Bulut.

While the range of Simic's suitors remains largely undisclosed, ChronicleLive had recently reported of considerable interest from Sunderland. The Mackems have made little secret of their striker search this summer and have been linked to a host of names after struggling in front of goal across the previous season.

Cardiff have endured their own goalscoring woes but none of Sunderland's strikers managed to register more than two league strikes across the 2023/24 term, culminating in a disappointing 16th-placed Championship finish for the North East side.

Sunderland, however, have made real inroads to incorporating a sustainable recruitment philosophy under the ownership of Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, who has directed a strategy of signing young, high-potential players from untapped divisions with a view to collecting significant future profit.

Alongside the news of the move itself, Cardiff's own strategy for Simic has been revealed. As per WalesOnline's report, which does indicate as though the situation could yet be subject to change, the Red Bull Salzburg forward is poised to be loaned out to sister club KV Kortrijk of the Belgian top-flight.

Cardiff have sent the likes of Ryotaro Tsunoda, Sheyi Ojo and Davies to the Vincent Tan-owned side, where the latter thrived and enjoyed a 12-goal haul last term.

It will be hoped, then, that Simic can replicate Davies' form out in Belgium and return to the Welsh Capital as a more well-rounded, refined proposition.

It is believed that Simic is envisaged to be a long-term solution to Cardiff's striker issues, which have been all too prominent over the last few years.

The Croatian forward scored six times for Salzburg last term, including the opening strike in their 2-0 UEFA Champions League group stage victory over Portuguese giants Benfica back in September.

Cardiff City supporters may not be satisfied with Roko Simic transfer strategy

Although there has been little opposition to the principle of signing Simic - the strategy behind signing a young striker from overseas with a healthy reputation and malleable profile will only be lauded in itself - Cardiff will doubtlessly need to add another in order to cool sustained fears over their striking stable.

Notable question marks are already at play regarding the aforementioned Kanga while Cardiff have two long-term striker absentees and, as far as senior options go, the only other alternative is Callum Robinson, who is poised for a potential redemption campaign after recently scoring in the latest edition of the South Wales Derby but is not an out-and-out centre-forward, either.

In isolation, an immediate loan move to a club that has already developed Cardiff's striking talent does not appear an unsuitable course of action for Simic.

The prospect boasts more than 100 senior appearances at a tender age but, having not yet been prolific outside the Austrian second division with FC Liefering, would likely reap the rewards of steadily acclimatising and undertaking further experience at a competitive, though slightly inferior level in Belgium.

However, Cardiff simply cannot afford to go until January at least with the current options as they are. In the wake of last night's 5-3 Carabao Cup exit to Southampton, Bulut told the press he expects "maybe one more in" and it is no secret Cardiff want another striker before the deadline.