Cardiff City transfer news as Erol Bulut makes instant impression and ex-Bluebirds striker seals Championship return

Here are your Cardiff City headlines for Wednesday, June 21.

Collins raring to go again as he shares first impression of Bulut

Jamilu Collins says he is feeling “happy and motivated” ahead of the new season after being sidelined for nearly all of the last campaign as he opened up on his first impression of new boss Erol Bulut.

The left-back, who signed for Cardiff from Paderborn last summer, impressed in his first four performances for the Bluebirds but was cruelly sidelined with an ACL injury back in August and spent nine months out of action.

And after reporting for pre-season testing earlier this week, Collins said it was “amazing” to be back as he pledged to pay back his team-mates and the fans who supported him throughout his recovery.

READ MORE: Erol Bulut’s Cardiff City backroom staff confirmed as Sol Bamba officially leaves

“It was a long last season for me, so I feel really good to start my first, full pre-season with the team again,” he said. “I’m really happy, I’m motivated and I’m feeling really good.

“Me and the boys, we have a really good connection. The players, the medical staff, the coaches, everyone was just lovely towards me. From the first day they really pushed me, and they made me feel good every single day of my rehab. I am really grateful to have great lads like this.”

He added: “I have to give back what I couldn’t accomplish to the fans, and I owe them this. This season, I am hoping it will be a better season than it was, and I hope we will all be smiling at the end of the season. We will see how the season goes, but of course, we want to see that the fans are really proud of the club, and have more love than they ever had for the club before.”

The 28-year-old also lifted the lid on Bulut’s first interactions with the Bluebirds squad, describing him as a “lovely guy” with the spirit around the training ground “already high”.

“I love to see the smiles on the face of the boys, and the gaffer also is a lovely guy,” he said. “You can see he is just making jokes around the players, and letting us know already from the very first start what he wants.

“The first conversation with him was really lovely from the start. He has already shown what kind of person he is; joking with the players, and obviously the boys are smiling towards everything.”

Ex-City striker returns to Championship

Former Cardiff striker Rhys Healey has signed for Watford after leaving Ligue 1 side Toulouse.

The 28-year-old made 14 appearances for the Bluebirds, including three in the Premier League, between 2013 and 2019 and scored one competitive goal in a frustrating period which saw him sent out on loan five times before joining MK Dons on a permanent deal.

He made the switch to Toulouse in 2020 and shone in France, scoring 35 goals in 65 appearances in Ligue 2 during his first two seasons with the club and winning the league’s Golden Boot with 20 goals as his side sealed promotion to Ligue 1.

After being sidelined for most of last season with a ruptured ACL, his contract with the French club expired earlier this month.

He has now sealed his return to the Championship by signing a two-year deal with the Hornets, who lost top scorer Joao Pedro this summer after he moved to Brighton in a deal worth around £30m.

Healey started his career with Connah’s Quay Nomads’ under-16s back in 2009, with his impressive scoring rate of 19 goals in 33 first-team outings catching the eye of then-Premier League side Cardiff, who were then in the top flight.

He signed for the Bluebirds in 2013 and the following year made his debut, but could not break through into the senior side and was shipped out on loan to Colchester, Dundee, Newport County, Torquay and MK Dons. He returned. Cardiff in 2016 and found his way into the starting XI, only to suffer a serious knee injury in his second start which ruled him out for nine months.

After his move to Watford was confirmed, the striker took to Twitter and wrote: “Very happy to have signed for Watford. I can’t wait for the season to begin.”

Hoilett set for reunion with former Bluebirds boss

Ex-Cardiff winger Junior Hoilett is set to be reunited with former manager Neil Warnock as he reportedly nears a move to Huddersfield Town.

The Canadian international, who played 173 times for the Bluebirds between 2016 and 2021 is also wanted by teams in MLS but looks set to sign for the Terriers on a free transfer, according to the Mirror.

.The 33-year-old signed for Reading after leaving Cardiff in 2021, but his contract with the relegated side expires at the end of June and he has not shown any signs of extending his stay in Berkshire.

If he does opt to stay in the Championship and sign for Huddersfield, he will link up with Warnock for the third time in his career after the veteran manager returned to the Yorkshire club for next season having come out of retirement to join them earlier this year.

The 74-year-old managed Hoilett while he was in temporary charge of Queens Park Rangers in 2015 before signing him for the Bluebirds the following year and making him a key part of the side that won promotion to the Premier League.

Championship fixtures to be announced

Pre-season may have just started but Cardiff are just hours away from learning their fixture schedule for the 2023/24 Championship campaign.

All 72 EFL clubs will find out their run of fixtures at 9am on Thursday, June 22, with the season kicking off on August 5 and drawing to a close in May next year.

The first round draw for the 2023/24 Carabao Cup will also be held on Thursday afternoon and is set to be shown live on Sky Sports from 2.30pm.

The Bluebirds have been allocated the number six in the South section of the draw, with Swansea (31), Wrexham (38) and Newport County (19) all involved too.