Erol Bulut sends message to Derby County over Ebou Adams transfer | OneFootball

Derby County will have to agree a fair deal with Cardiff City if they are to re-sign Ebou Adams in this summer's transfer window.

That's according to Bluebirds manager Erol Bulut, who says he has congratulated the midfielder for the part he has played in the Rams' promotion back to the Championship this season.

Adams joined Cardiff back in the summer of 2022, signing from Fores Green Rovers. However, his time in the Welsh capital was subsequently severely hampered by injuries.

As a result, the 28-year-old has made just a handful of appearances for the club, and was therefore allowed to join Derby County on loan until the end of the season in the January transfer window.

That move proved to be a big success, with Adams becoming a key player for the Rams in the second half of the season, helping them to seal automatic promotion from League One back to the Championship.

In the wake of that, there now appears to be a strong desire around Derby to bring the midfielder back to Pride Park on a permanent basis in the summer transfer window.

Indeed, it has already been reported that the Rams are preparing a £250,000 bid for Adams, but that Cardiff would want double that price to sell the midfielder.

Now it seems as though Bulut himself is adamant that the Gambia international will only be leaving permanently this summer, if it is a deal that works for Cardiff.

Erol Bulut comments on Ebou Adams transfer rumours

Given the significance of those claims, it is perhaps no surprise that Bulut has been forced to clarify the situation surrounding Adams.

Responding to a question about the midfielder's current situation, the Cardiff boss was quoted by Derbyshire Live as saying: "I congratulated him for the victory. He was a big part from the season and helped the team a lot to get promoted.

"New season, if we are all together here, we will see how it goes. He is still under contract of Cardiff City - he is a Cardiff City player. So let's see how he thinks, how his manager is thinking, how the clubs are thinking - Cardiff City and Derby - and we will see.

"I think there was interest in him, very much, and they took him. But if [they want to sign him permanently], they have to discuss with our club."

Adams enters the final year of his contract with Cardiff this summer, meaning the upcoming transfer window may be their last chance to cash in on him.

For their part, Cardiff are guaranteed to finish mid-table in the Championship this season, meaning they will face in the second-tier in the 2024/25 campaign.

A fair stance for Cardiff to take

You can't really blame Bulut for adopting this approach when it comes to the future of Adams.

As the Cardiff manager says, the midfielder is still their player, so they are entitled to take whatever approach they want when it comes to his future.

That of course, means they are going to want what they will feel is a fair fee for the midfielder, that they can use to take their own club forward as well.

It is of course, worth noting that injuries have prevented Cardiff from really benefitting from the abilities of Adams in the way that Derby have over the past few months.

But having seen what he has done over at Pride Park, they may now be aware of just what he can do.

So if they are going to let go of a talented player without really exploiting what he can do on the pitch, that should also mean they are going to want to make sure it is worth their while in terms of what they get financially.

With all that in mind, this may turn innto a saga that has some time to run yet, before the future of Adams at either Cardiff or Derby is ultimately decided.