Cardiff City, Neil Warnock missed out on a future England star for just £2m - here's what happened | OneFootball

Neil Warnock wanted Ollie Watkins at Cardiff — but the club refused to meet Exeter’s asking price.

Hindsight is a cruel companion to football recruitment, and Cardiff City’s failed swoop for a young Ollie Watkins is exemplary of the fact.

Then-manager Neil Warnock was convinced of Watkins’ potential and pleaded with the Bluebirds' hierarchy to back the move - they refused.

Instead, Watkins went to Brentford, kickstarting a meteoric rise that has since seen him become one of the Premier League’s standout forwards and a full England international.

The story is a striking case study in the value of lower-league scouting - and the long-term cost of hesitation at boardroom level.

Neil Warnock’s failed £2 million pursuit of Ollie Watkins at Cardiff City

In the summer of 2017, Neil Warnock had a clear target in mind. The Cardiff City boss had been keeping tabs on Ollie Watkins, a versatile and explosive attacker making waves at then-League Two side Exeter City.

Despite the forward playing primarily as a wide man, Warnock saw him as a natural striker with the attributes to thrive at a higher level.

“I tried to get Cardiff to sign Watkins at Exeter but they thought £2m was too much,” Warnock revealed in 2020.

“He went for £2m and then £30m to Aston Villa. I always saw him as a striker, even though he was playing out wide.”

Warnock, renowned for his knowledge of the EFL's lower tiers, felt Watkins represented a rare blend of hunger, athleticism and raw goal-scoring instinct - but his recommendation was not heeded.

The Cardiff board - notably chairman Mehmet Dalman and owner Vincent Tan - declined to meet Exeter’s valuation.

Instead, Cardiff chose to invest elsewhere. That summer, the club brought in a mix of attacking players including Lee Tomlin, Danny Ward, and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing.

While that recruitment drive helped deliver promotion to the Premier League at the end of the 2017-18 season, the long-term implications of missing out on Watkins have become stark.

Warnock, reflecting on the decision three years later, made a point of reminding the board:

“I rang Mehmet up recently and said, ‘Just remind Vincent when he went for £30m - and we could have had him for £2m.’”

From League Two prospect to England star: Ollie Watkins’ career since Cardiff’s snub

After being overlooked by Cardiff, Ollie Watkins signed for Brentford in July 2017 for a reported £1.8 million. It was a move that would prove transformative - both for the player and for the club.

At Brentford, Watkins flourished under a forward-thinking recruitment model and a coaching setup that knew how to develop young talent.

Initially used out wide, he was later converted into a central striker by head coach Thomas Frank - a decision that proved inspired.

Watkins netted 26 goals in the 2019-20 Championship season, finishing as the league’s top scorer and helping Brentford to the brink of Premier League promotion.

His performances caught the attention of Aston Villa, who paid a club-record £30m to secure his services in September 2020. Since joining Villa, Watkins has continued to impress, becoming a key figure under Unai Emery and earning international recognition with England.

As for the Bluebirds, the decision to pass on Watkins remains a lesson in the long-term value of strategic scouting and the risks of short-term thinking.

Warnock’s eye for talent was right once again - but without boardroom backing, the club missed out on a generational talent for a price now considered a steal.

Footballing success often hinges on fine margins, and for Cardiff City, £2 million may have been the difference between a brief return to the top flight - and the chance to build around one of England’s most exciting forwards.