Cardiff City need to beat Sheffield United & West Brom to 21-cap international striker: View | OneFootball

Cardiff City must beat their Championship rivals Sheffield United and West Brom to the signing of Las Palmas striker Sory Kaba.

Cardiff City will be hoping to challenge for promotion from the Championship next season.

The Bluebirds enjoyed a decent first year under Erol Bulut last season as they finished 12th in the table, but an inconsistent second half of the campaign proved costly to their hopes of reaching the play-offs.

There were fears that Bulut would leave the club this summer at the end of his contract, but he signed a new two-year deal last month, and he will be keen for his side to make further progress in the year ahead.

Cardiff have made two new signings so far this summer, with Calum Chambers and Chris Willock joining from Aston Villa and Queens Park Rangers, while a number of players have departed, including the likes of Rohan Luthra, Oliver Denham, Romaine Sawyers, Ebou Adams and Sheyi Ojo.

Cardiff City plotting Sory Kaba reunion but face stiff competition

The Bluebirds will be targeting further reinforcements before the closure of the transfer window, and according to Canary Islands-based publication La Provincia (via Sport Witness), they are looking to bring Las Palmas striker Sory Kaba back to the club.

Kaba enjoyed a hugely successful stint at the Cardiff City Stadium in the second half of the 2022-23 season after joining on loan from Midtjylland, and he played a crucial role in keeping the club in the Championship.

Cardiff were said to be keen to sign Kaba on a permanent basis last summer, but financial restrictions made it tough for them to secure a deal, while Watford, West Bromwich Albion and Birmingham City were also linked with the striker before he eventually headed to La Liga with Las Palmas.

However, Kaba endured a tough first season with the Spanish side, scoring just two goals and providing one assist in 20 appearances in all competitions, and it has been claimed that he is free to leave this summer.

The Bluebirds reportedly face competition for Kaba's signature from Sheffield United and West Bromwich Albion, with the Baggies believed to be pushing hardest to sign him, but with Bulut lacking proven goalscorers in his squad, the club must do everything possible to win the race for the 28-year-old.

Sory Kaba reunion would be huge for Cardiff City

After the impact he made during his last spell at the club, Cardiff supporters will no doubt be hoping to see Kaba return this summer.

The lack of a prolific striker prevented the Bluebirds from mounting a serious promotion push last season, and as things stand, they could face a similar issue this time around.

Kion Etete and Yakou Meite were two of Bulut's main attacking options last season, but the former scored just six goals in all competitions and the latter only netted twice, underlining the need for more firepower in the squad.

One player who looks set to be involved for Cardiff next season is Isaak Davies, who scored an impressive 12 goals in 36 games last term on loan at KV Kortrijk, but while he will have gained confidence during his time in Belgium, his record in the Championship does not make for good reading.

After scoring eight goals in 17 games in his previous stint at the club, Kaba has proven that he can deliver in a Cardiff shirt, and he would likely be able to reach around the 20-goal mark over a full season, so he could be the solution to Bulut's problems.

Cardiff City would be a better fit for Sory Kaba than Sheffield United or West Brom

Kaba is believed to be keen to come back to English football this summer, and while Sheffield United and West Brom may be more tempting options for the striker, a return to Cardiff could be the perfect move for all parties.

Given the Bluebirds' aforementioned goalscoring issues, Kaba would almost certainly be a regular starter next season, but the 21-cap Guinea international may not receive those same guarantees from the other two interested clubs.

The Blades have already made one high-profile striker signing this summer in Kieffer Moore, who scored seven goals in 18 games to help Ipswich Town to promotion last season, whilst manager Chris Wilder also has William Osula and Rhian Brewster at his disposal.

There are question marks over whether Osula and Brewster can score the goals to fire United to promotion, but Wilder seems to be a fan of the pair, and while he may look to bring in a replacement for Oli McBurnie, with strong competition for places, Kaba could find his game time limited at Bramall Lane.

Kaba could face similar problems at The Hawthorns, with Brandon Thomas-Asante and Josh Maja already on the Baggies' books.

Thomas-Asante has been head coach Carlos Corberan's first choice striker in recent years, and the Spaniard has spoken of his excitement at having Maja, who was sidelined by injury for much of last season, back available again.

With newly-promoted Premier League side Southampton said to be keen on Thomas-Asante, Albion may need to enter the transfer market for a striker, but with the club now in a more stable financial position under the ownership of Shilen Patel, it seems unlikely they would cash in one of their key players.

There is no doubt that Kaba would be a good signing for any Championship side this summer, but with Cardiff in desperate need of a goalscorer, and given his strong connection to the club, a return to South Wales is surely the most sensible option.