Cardiff City boss Steve Morison has told Wales Online he has ‘had phone calls’ with rival Championship managers to discuss potential transfers for Leeds United gem Cody Drameh.
The full-back joined the Bluebirds on loan in the January window to gain regular first-team minutes under Morison. Drameh did not feel he was ready to challenge for consistent top-flight chances under Marcelo Bielsa after rarely featuring before departing Elland Road.
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Bielsa gave the 20-year-old his Premier League debut at Norwich City in October as a late substitute. He also featured from the bench at Manchester City in December, and started at home to Arsenal. But Drameh only featured in seven of 15 alternative matchday squads.
Stepping down to the Championship has proven extremely beneficial for the England U21 international’s development, though. Drameh has started all 16 possible league games for Cardiff so far, whilst also offering three assists over the Leeds gem’s 1,428 minutes in total.
Cardiff boss Morison claims ‘phone calls’ with rival sides over Leeds gem Drameh
Morison would now love Cardiff to re-sign Drameh this summer if the Leeds talent is open to another loan transfer. But the Bluebirds boss adds rival managers have been in touch to discuss the London-born prospect, as well as their Manchester City loanee Tommy Doyle.
“Unfortunately, they have come on loan to us, him and Cody, for example, and done so well, no doubt people will be looking at the other end of the table to us,” Morison said. “They will be looking and thinking: ‘Imagine what they could be doing in our team!’
“You look at both of them, I’ve had phone calls from managers higher up the table on both of them players, asking what they are like as characters, etc. They know where I stand on it all, those football clubs.
“If Tommy, Cody, whoever it was, wanted to pick the phone up and say: ‘Look, we want to come to you next season on loan’, I will make that happen. But I’m also a realist and understand that some people, we just can’t compete with.”
Drameh has helped Cardiff win eight of their Championship games in which the Leeds gem has featured. He has also played the full 90 minutes in all but his Bluebirds debut. But the Cardiff City Stadium side only sit 17th in the standings and are 16 points from the play-offs.
Leeds would likely favour sending Drameh to a promotion-chasing club if he returns to the second-tier next season. Cardiff may deem themselves a challenger with the right signings, having taken the eighth-most points (26) since Drameh debuted against Blackburn Rovers.
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