Cardiff City are reportedly set to sign Oxford United’s Gavin Whyte but Championship rivals Forest have also been interested.
Cardiff City are closing in on a £2 million cash-plus-player deal for Oxford United attacker Gavin Whyte, according to the Mirror (29 July, page 51) while Omar Bogle on his way to the Kassam Stadium as part of the switch.
The 23-year-old has certainly come a long way in the last 12 months.
Whyte has been viewed as one of the brightest talents in Northern Irish football for some time now. He scored 21 goals in his final season for the Crusaders, winning the Ulster Footballer of the Year award before sealing a move to Oxford United.
And, after just one season with the League One outfit, Whyte is set to be offered the chance to make a step up with Neil Warnock’s Cardiff.
“I expect him to leave,” Oxford manager Karl Robinson told Wales Online over the weekend.
“The bid that we’ve had that we’ve still not 100 per cent accepted – and there’s still loads of things that can go right or wrong – is good.”
It seems that the chance to bring in Bogle in Whyte’s place has made the decision far easier for Oxford. The former Grimsby Town striker is a centre-forward rather than a wide player like Whyte but he should provide plenty of goals in the third tier.
Nottingham Forest were keen to sign the Whyte too, according to the Sun (July 2, page 6) and there is still time for them to react.
Only two players in Forest’s squad hit double figures in the Championship last season and, despite the additions of Albert Adomah and Sammy Ameobi, Sabri Lamouchi’s side are still lacking a bit of pace and a goal-threat in wide areas.
So Forest must give serious consideration to hijacking this deal before it’s too late.
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