“Increasingly peculiar” - Cardiff City’s £2m transfer gamble raises concerns | OneFootball

With Roko Simic struggling to make an impact, questions are mounting over Cardiff City's transfer strategy and the striker’s long-term future.

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...

Roko Simic arrived at Cardiff City with high expectations.

He signed a four-year deal on August 30, 2024, for a significant £2 million fee from RB Salzburg. Just two days later, he was sent on loan to Kortrijk, a spell that proved disastrous.

Following only four appearances and zero goals, the loan was cut short in January 2025, raising concerns about his future at the club.

With manager Omer Riza confirming that Simic is still a long way from starting games, questions are mounting over whether this was a costly mistake.

Jack Price, FLW’s Cardiff City fan pundit, believes the transfer is already shaping up to be a regrettable move.

Cardiff’s Roko Simic dilemma: a costly misstep

Cardiff’s handling of Simic’s transfer has raised serious questions about their recruitment strategy.

The club invested heavily in a player who has yet to prove his worth, and as time passes, that decision is looking increasingly flawed.

"The signing of Roko Simic is looking increasingly peculiar as time goes on,” Price explained. “We paid what I would say is a significant outlay, I think relative to where Cardiff have been in the league over the last few years, especially as purse strings have been tightened. It’s a similar fee to what we paid for Callum Robinson, so it’s not looking like good business.

“I think Riza’s comments this week are a damning indictment of that and of where Simic himself is in the pecking order. When we signed Simic, Erol Bulut seemed to have no real idea of who he was - so you got a bad feeling from the offset about him being a complete club signing. Unfortunately, it seems that Riza isn’t keen on him whatsoever and it’s really unfortunate for the player.

“It’s really unfortunate for the player that he had such a horrific loan spell at Kortrijk, because it was hoped he’d replicate Isaac Davis’ impact out there.”

“The club have said in reports that they hope for him to be the number one striker next season - it’s just not going to happen now, is it?”

One of the biggest criticisms surrounding the Simic deal is the alternative ways Cardiff City could have used the £2 million fee.

The Bluebirds’ squad had clear gaps, particularly out wide, that were left unaddressed in favour of signing a long-term project.

Price said: "I think there are some regrets, because he was a long-term signing, I think you have to look at where that money could have been used immediately. It was said that Erol Bulut wanted a winger, but the club chose to allocate those funds to Simic instead. We’ve really struggled out wide this season, which has been amended slightly with the signing of Will Alves, but he’s only a Cardiff player for a couple of months.

“We’ve given Callum Robinson a new two-year contract, and rightly so, Yourself Salech was signed for a bigger fee than Simic and is already thriving, he’s scored three goals.

“Isaak Davies is now coming back into the fold and we all know the talent that he has, and if he has a strong end to the season he’ll earn a new contract. He’s still a player with a lot of long-term potential.”

Price expressed sympathy for Simic’s situation in South Wales, but ultimately laments Cardiff’s strategy to bring in the young Croatian forward.

He said: “I don’t want to write off Simic completely - I feel a lot of sympathy for him. He’s a young striker, who feeds off confidence, and has come over to a foreign country at a very young age and it couldn’t have gone worse for him. But it is looking like regrettable business - because what is the plan for him?

“So where does that leave Simic? Probably another loan next season, but he’s going to have to do something really special to work his way into this Cardiff team. And for as long as Riza’s here, do I see Simic winning him over? No.

“I hope it works out, but there’s a reason why a team that scores so few goals, why Simic is so far down the pecking order. Let’s hope he figures it out and kicks on and has his big break at some point. But it’s not looking like good business, and we’ve got to ask ourselves - how could that money have been used better?”

Roko Simic’s future at Cardiff City

At 21 years old, Simic still has time on his side, but Cardiff’s current trajectory suggests his chances of making a significant impact at the club are dwindling.

The reality is that Cardiff are in no position to carry expensive long-term projects if they aren’t delivering on the pitch.

A loan move next season seems inevitable, but the crucial factor will be selecting the right club - one where he will receive consistent game time and be given the right platform to develop.

If he continues to struggle, Cardiff will be left with an expensive mistake to offload.

Ultimately, the signing of Simic is shaping up to be a lesson in the dangers of recruitment without a clear plan.