Erol Bulut's Cardiff City future in doubt as Beskitas links emerge | OneFootball

Cardiff City manager Erol Bulut is a contender to take over at Turkish giants Besiktas, according to reports from Turkish outlet Mackolik.

Bulut signed a one-year deal at the Cardiff City Stadium last summer and there has been no sign of a contract extension from the Bluebirds' hierarchy, so he may be a free agent at the end of the season.

The former Turkish youth international has plenty of experience of leading clubs in his homeland after spells with Yeni Malatyaspor, Alanyaspor, Fenerbache, and Gaziantep, and his spell with the Bluebirds is his first fjob outside Turkey.

Besiktas are a real powerhouse and have won the Turkish Süper Lig 16 times, most recently in 2021, but they find themselves in fourth place this season, and the club appear keen to appoint a new manager for the 2024/25 season.

Erol Bulut has made a real difference to Cardiff City this season

Having managed clubs like Fenerbache, it appeared to be a real coup when Cardiff City appointed Bulut out of the blue last summer.

Cardiff have endured a miserable few seasons since reaching the play-offs during the 2019/20 campaign under Neil Harris and would have actually been relegated last season if it wasn't for Reading being deducted six points, which ultimately kept them in the division.

Given their slide down the Championship table in recent seasons, coupled with a transfer embargo that meant they couldn't pay fees for players, many people tipped Cardiff for relegation this season, but Bulut has steadied the ship and has built a competitive squad.

With just three games left of the season, the Bluebirds sit 11th in the Championship table, 15 points clear of the relegation zone.

This is some turnaround from last season, and whilst by no means are Cardiff world beaters, and they have suffered some poor defeats, they're in a decent position when compared to previous seasons.

Bulut has put his knowledge of the European market to great use, and signed Greek internationals Manolis Siopis and Dimitrios Goutas in the summer, who have helped improve the squad.

Given the circumstances, Bulut has done a good job at the Cardiff City Stadium, and he should be given a chance to build on this in the years to come, but without a contract for next season, the Turkish manager has no job security.

Erol Bulut can't be blamed if he left Cardiff City for Besiktas

First and foremost, Besiktas are clearly a far bigger club than Cardiff City, and being Turkish himself, a move back to his homeland could be very appealing for Bulut.

Secondly, the Bluebirds' boss still doesn't have a deal next season, despite what's been a campaign worthy of a new contract in most people's eyes.

With this in mind, Bulut couldn't be blamed for leaving, with the lack of job security being far from ideal when he's trying to plan for next season.

At Beskitas, Bulut would have a far better squad at his disposal, and would presumably have the backing of the club's owners, a far cry from his current situation at Cardiff with controversial owner Vincent Tan.

The former Fenerbache boss has given a good account of himself at Cardiff, but it seems like the powers that be at Cardiff aren't quite as convinced, hence the reluctance to extend his contract.

Perhaps Besiktas' rumoured interest is the perfect chance for Bulut to leave the Welsh capital and return home. With no contract beyond next season, he certainly couldn't be blamed if he left this summer.