Cardiff City should probably have given him more than six months to prove his worth.
FC Copenhagen’s Andreas Cornelius heads at goal
Cardiff City fans who happened upon Leicester City’s clash with FC Copenhagen in the Champions League last night will undoubtedly have got a shock – by seeing their former striker Andreas Cornelius playing in the Champions League.
Cornelius was snapped up by Cardiff when they were promoted to the Premier League. Cardiff beat off plenty of opposition to snap up Danish striker Andreas Cornelius from FC Copenhagen in the summer of 2013. That level of competition was reflected in his price-tag – a cool £7.5 million reported by Sky Sports.
Andreas Cornelius – Cardiff City in action
However, he struggled with injury and the arrival of Kenwyne Jones has seen him out of favour even more.
So, remarkably, Cardiff sold him back to Copenhagen for a reported fee of just £3 million – representing a massive loss on a then 20-year-old player with a definite future in the game.
FC Kobenhavn’s Andreas Cornelius celebrates his goal against FC Porto Reuters / Miguel Vidal
It was a failed transfer that played a big part in the eventual departure of Malky Mackay from the Welsh capital.
He looked good against Leicester and was only denied a goal by a fantastic save from fellow Dane Kasper Schmeichel.
That would have been his seventh goal in the Champions League this season, having already netted six in his previous eight appearances.
Leicester City’s Kasper Schmeichel saves from FC Copenhagen’s Andreas Cornelius
Altogether he has netted 10 goals in 19 games so far this season, as Cardiff loiter at the wrong end of the Championship table.
Perhaps flogging Cornelius so swiftly was not the right move.
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