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FLW's Cardiff City fan pundit discussed the club's interest in Manchester City midfielder Alex Robertson

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…

After an impressive season on loan with Portsmouth in League One, Alex Robertson is reportedly attracting transfer interest, and Cardiff City seem keen to bring him to the Welsh capital.

According to Wales Online, the Bluebirds have placed the Manchester City midfielder on a three-man transfer shortlist, but they're set to face competition from Pompey, who'd like to re-sign the Australian this summer from the Premier League champions.

The 21-year-old has less than a year left on his contract at the Etihad Stadium and Cardiff reportedly favour a permanent move. However, Man City are thought to be considering offering the Australian international a new contract, which means they could be more willing to sanction a loan move this summer.

The Bluebirds have serious strength in depth in the centre of the park, but with Ebou Adams leaving and Ryan Wintle set for the exit door, there could be scope to add Robertson to their ranks, particularly as boss Erol Bulut plans to play a more progressive style of play this coming season.

Signing Alex Robertson would be a statement of intent from Cardiff City

FLW's Cardiff City fan pundit, Ben Johnsey, believes that signing Robertson would show that the Bluebirds are moving in a different direction, and would favour a permanent move should the club be able to secure his signature.

Speaking to Football League World, Ben said: “I can’t say I know too much about Alex Robertson, but the reaction I’ve seen from Cardiff fans who are aware of him, and from Portsmouth fans, where he was on loan before, he really seems like a good player.

“We had the likes of Tommy Doyle before, who really offered a good outlet in our midfield, and Josh Wilson-Esbrand on loan from Man City last season, and again, he was a good player when he came in, so we’ve had good luck with that Man City link in the last few years, and it’s one I’d like to try again.

“I would hope that it would be a permanent deal, which has been reported as well, but if it is just a loan, he needs to be ready to play and be starting straight away. If not, I wouldn’t be using a loan slot on him.

“A permanent deal for someone of his age and with his ability really would be a good opportunity for Cardiff to show they're building something and going in a different direction.”

After loan spells at both Ross County and Portsmouth, Robertson could be ready to take the next step and move away from the Etihad Stadium on a permanent basis.

The 21-year-old is clearly a good player and if Cardiff were able to secure a permanent deal for him, they could make money in the years to come as the youngster would have resale value - an important consideration that teams make when deciding to sanction any signing.

In previous years, particularly prior to Bulut's arrival, Cardiff's recruitment was haphazard, and you only have to look at their business in the summer of 2022 to see they opted for quantity over quality, and would have been relegated that season had it not been for Reading's points deduction.

That seems to have been the wake-up call that owner Vincent Tan needed, and under Bulut, Cardiff have made some smart signings, with the likes of Chris Willock and Callum Chambers joining earlier this summer.

Cardiff's problem last season was their inability to score goals from open play, with midfielders like Ryan Wintle and Joe Ralls being solid Championship players, but perhaps not able to unlock defences.

Robertson would add another dimension to the Bluebirds' midfield, and it's clear that Bulut knows they need some extra creativity in the centre of the park.