Cardiff City clinched their promotion to the Premier League by securing a draw against Reading. Their rivals, Fulham squandered a great opportunity for automatic qualification as a win for them would have taken them to the top tier instead. Now the Cottagers will have to go through the rigours of the playoffs to secure their position in the English top flight.
With Cardiff City set to be promoted, they will be looking to add more depth and firepower to their squad so that they can keep their place in the top flight and it seems that they have zeroed in on West Brom striker Salomon Rondon. The Baggies are fighting tooth and nail to stay in the Premier League and as of now they aren’t officially relegated as they have put in some inspired performance under their caretaker manager David Moore.
According to reports, Rondon has a relegation release clause set at £16.5million but Cardiff are likely to offer £12m plus add-ons for the Venezuelan striker. However, with West Brom still somehow fighting for survival, Neil Warnock might have to put his plan on hold.
In a case where the Baggies go down, they can lose out on a host of key players as they will be looking to balance the books, devoid of getting the financial benefits of playing in the English top flight. Along with Rondon, players who might leave are Nacer Chadli, Jay Rodriguez, James McClean, Craig Dawson and Jonny Evans.
The future of the Baggies is hanging by a thread as they have picked up seven points against some of the heavyweights of the Premier League in their last few outings. One can only imagine where they would have been if they had shown this kind of determination and commitment earlier.
Neil Warnock will know that staying in the Premier League will be a much bigger challenge for his newly promoted side and to improve his chances, he needs to beef up his squad. Rondon could be available on a cut-price deal if his team are relegated and the Bluebirds could be ready to pounce on him.
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The Venezuelan is a traditional no. 9 striker and is a major threat in the box. He has good aerial abilities and is strong on the ball. However, sometimes his finishing lets him down but still, he would be a good bet for the Neil Warnock with his considerable amount of experience in the English top flight. His top-class pedigree is evident from the fact that even in a dismal season for his team, he has scored 10 goals and has assisted a further four times.
