Cardiff City hold big trump card in transfer race - Bolton Wanderers and Steven Schumacher may not like it | OneFootball

Cardiff City may hold the trump card in the battle for Fleetwood Town goalkeeper David Harrington.

Cardiff City may hold the trump card in the battle for Fleetwood Town goalkeeper David Harrington.

The Bluebirds are one of four clubs interested in signing the 25-year-old shot-stopper, after he impressed in Sky Bet League Two last season.

Cardiff City involved in four-way race for David Harrington

Cardiff are battling it out with two fellow League One sides after their relegation last season, with Bolton Wanderers and Wigan Athletic also interested in Harrington. Preston North End offer a Championship option for the Cod Army 'keeper, as Football League World exclusively revealed.

The Cork-born shot-stopper is a Welsh citizen, qualifying through his father, and it's understood that he's keen on a move up the EFL pyramid in a bid to further his international career as he looks to force his way into Craig Bellamy's Wales squad for next summer's FIFA 2026 World Cup - should the Red Dragons qualify, of course.

He joined Fleetwood in 2023 after moving from hometown side Cork City. Harrington managed 14 clean sheets in the season before his move to the Cod Army, excelling between the sticks in the League of Ireland.

He has now impressed enough to attract the attention of a vast array of clubs. Bolton, under the management of Steven Schumacher missed out on the play-offs in a disappointing campaign started by former boss Ian Evatt.

Ryan Lowe has looked to turn Wigan around, after they lacked goals and held a firm defensive solidity in their most recent League One campaign.

Cardiff were relegated into the third tier, and are now preparing for a first term with former Rochdale boss Brian Barry-Murphy at the helm. It follows his spells in the academies of Manchester City and Leicester City, where he has built an impressive track-record.

Meanwhile, Preston slipped to 20th in the Championship in 2024/25, their lowest finish since being promoted into the division a decade ago.

Welsh side may hold trump card over Bolton Wanderers and co.

While there is no guarantee that Harrington will choose Cardiff, or in fact any of the four interested parties, there is one major trump card up the Bluebirds' sleeves heading into negotiations.

As the Welsh shot-stopper is keen to make his mark on the international stage and further his career away from club football, Cardiff may provide him with the best opportunity to do that.

Current Wales head coach Bellamy has been a frequent attendee of Cardiff games, and Harrington could get his name mentioned in the scouting reports by moving to the Welsh club. His chances of being picked in Bellamy's World Cup squad next summer will surely be helped by playing for a club he often watches, performing in front of the right eyes.

However, the pull of jumping into the Championship with Preston, or heading to a team like Bolton who have a new-look goalkeeping unit with Chelsea youngster Teddy Sharman-Lowe joining the ranks, could sway him elsewhere. Cardiff, of course, had two goalkeepers wrestling for the number one jersey last season in Jak Alnwick and Ethan Horvath.

One may have to make way first to facilitate Harrington's arrival, though Alnwick perhaps lacks the distribution qualities for Barry-Murphy's strict and unrelenting possession-based approach, in which his goalkeepers are neccesitated to have strong ability and composure playing the ball out, while Horvath is likely to leave as he pursues a spot in the United States' World Cup squad on home soil next year, too.