Last night, Cardiff City’s Player of the Season, Ryan Wintle, announced his departure after five seasons in the Welsh capital.
It leaves the Bluebirds facing arguably their most important recruitment decision of the summer.
The 28-year-old was the heartbeat of Brian Barry-Murphy’s promotion-winning side.
Often operating as the lone No.6, he dictated the tempo, provided a shield to the back four, and offered a platform for Cardiff’s creative players to flourish.
Therefore, replacing the midfielder could prove a difficult task.
However, Wintle’s exit also underlines the ruthless edge Barry-Murphy possesses.
The Irishman continues to reshape the squad in his image and has shown there is no room for sentiment, even when it comes to the club’s Player of the Season.
The days of relying on experienced, slower-tempo midfielders such as Joe Ralls, Aaron Ramsey, and Wintle appear to be over, with Cardiff moving towards a younger, more athletic and mobile profile.
Barry-Murphy’s system is heavily influenced by the tactical framework he coached within Manchester City’s Elite Development Squad between 2021 and 2024.
His deepest midfielder must be press-resistant, tactically disciplined and capable of completing a huge volume of passes, while helping the team counter-press immediately after possession is lost.
As Cardiff continue their preparations for life back in the Championship, recruitment in this position is vitally important given the demands of the role.
Here are five players who could fill that void.
Collins appears to be the most obvious and realistic replacement.
The 26-year-old is available on a free transfer after leaving Peterborough United at the expiry of his contract this summer.
He has long been regarded as one of the most technically complete midfielders in the EFL.
Last season, Collins played 4,004 minutes, scored two goals, and registered seven assists in 45 League One appearances.
He completed 1,800 passes with a 84.5% success rate, while also recording 211 defensive recoveries and 62 tackles.
These numbers underline exactly why he fits the Barry-Murphy system.
Collins constantly makes himself available to receive the ball and is capable of retaining possession and progressing play under pressure.
Another major tick in the box for the Exeter City academy product is his injury record.
He has made 386 professional career appearances and played 50+ appearances in each of his three seasons at The Posh.
At 26, he is entering his prime years and would arrive without a transfer fee, making him a hugely attractive option for Cardiff.
De Keersmaecker could be the most complete all-round option on my shortlist.
The 26-year-old Belgian impressed for Oxford United last season, after signing from Eredivisie side Heracles for £1 million+ last summer.
He combines technical quality with physical presence and defensive bite.
De Keersmaecker completed 1,110 passes last season at a 79.5% success rate, rising to an impressive 88.2% in his own half.
That split tells the story of how effective he is at receiving the ball from the back line and quickly punching passes into the more advanced midfielders.
He played 2,247 minutes, scoring one goal and landing five assists in the 2025/26 campaign.
A regular Championship starter for The U’s, he started 25 matches before a shoulder injury curtailed his season in January.
With Oxford and Cardiff swapping divisions, the Bluebirds could look to sign him for a reduced fee around the £1.2-£1.5 million mark.
Oxford could have held out for a higher offer had they remained in the second tier.
The Belgian possesses the engine, intelligence, and technical ability to make him an ideal long-term replacement for Wintle.
Ozoh would represent an ambitious loan move.
The 21-year-old Crystal Palace prospect has spent the last two seasons gaining valuable Championship experience with Derby County.
In the 2024/25 campaign, after a bright start, he suffered two significant injuries, a hamstring injury and a torn thigh muscle, which limited him to just 12 appearances, although he still managed to score once.
However, he returned to The Rams for the 2025/26 campaign and made a major impact, once again underlining his potential.
Ozoh made 33 appearances, scored two goals, and recorded an 84.1% success rate on short and medium passes as Derby finished 8th, just four points outside the play-off places.
He also won 62% of his ground duels and ranked strongly for tackles in the middle third, proving his ability to break up play and cover large areas of the pitch.
At 6ft, he offers the athleticism and physicality that Cardiff are increasingly moving towards.
In Barry-Murphy’s system, Ozoh possesses all the attributes to be successful, including recovery pace, ball-winning ability, and the composure to recycle the ball to attacking midfielders.
While he is not a traditional lone 6 in the mould of Wintle, he could provide the ideal destroyer profile and would form an excellent partnership with Alex Robertson in a double pivot.
Ozoh’s contract with Palace expires this summer, but the club hold a two-year extension option. If activated, it could pave the way for another loan move to continue his development.
Gray is an intriguing developmental option.
The 20-year-old was named Players’ Player of the Season for Manchester City’s Elite Development Squad in 2025 and has been schooled in the same principles Barry-Murphy operates within.
Gray has been with City since Under-9s level and made his senior debut in the EFL Cup against Brentford in December 2025.
However, contract negotiations have stalled, and despite City’s desire to keep the highly rated prospect, Gray has turned down extension offers.
He is understood to be keen on securing regular senior first-team football, and has attracted interest from EFL Championship clubs as well as teams in Serie A.
Although Gray is out of contract, EFL clubs would still be required to negotiate a compensation package because he is under the age of 24 and a product of City’s academy.
Gray’s numbers are eye-catching after an outstanding campaign at Premier League 2 level.
He completed more than 500 passes last season at an 88.7% success rate, while also posting an impressive 78.2% long-ball accuracy. He created 16 chances, including six big chances.
Those statistics point to a midfielder with the vision and technical quality to dictate play from a deeper role in a Barry-Murphy system.
While he remains untested at senior level, Barry-Murphy could have the upper hand through his Manchester City connections and potentially secure the signature of one of the most highly rated young midfielders in England.
Similar to Alex Robertson, any deal for Gray would likely require significant clauses, such as a sell-on percentage to protect Manchester City’s term investment in him.
Sidibé is perhaps the wildcard option on this shortlist.
The 27-year-old Mali international is available on a free transfer after leaving Ligue 2 side Guingamp this summer.
Standing at a towering 6ft7, Sidibé is not the most natural like-for-like replacement for Wintle as a lone No.6.
However, he would provide something Cardiff have lacked in recent seasons with genuine midfield power.
Last season, he played 1,970 minutes across 29 Ligue 2 appearances, scoring two goals and providing two assists.
He won 229 duels during the 2025/26 campaign at a 65.8% success rate, while also registering 101 ball recoveries, 42 clearances, and 33 tackles.
Despite his massive frame, Sidibé remains impressively secure on the ball.
He was dispossessed only 16 times all season and is an excellent ball carrier, with a 61.5% dribble success rate when forced to carry his way out of pressure.
Impressively, he ranks in the 100th percentile among other central midfielders for aerial duels won, with an astonishing 80.2% success rate.
Alongside a more technical player such as Alex Robertson, Sidibé could offer defensive security, ball-winning ability and a commanding presence in both boxes – an area where Cardiff have lacked a real edge, specifically from set pieces.
Fellow EFL Championship side QPR are also reportedly interested in his services, but Cardiff could look move quickly.
It would be a bold move, but one that could add a completely different dimension to the Bluebirds’ midfield by bringing in one of the tallest midfielders in European football.
While Cardiff are likely to sign at least one defensive midfielder following Wintle’s departure, they may also look in-house for potential solutions.
Alex Robertson enjoyed an excellent campaign, scoring six goals and providing three assists last season.
He spent the majority of the season operating as a No.8 ahead of Wintle, but also showed at times that he possesses the passing range, composure and energy to dictate games from that deeper role.
Meanwhile, academy graduate Eli King remains highly regarded by Barry-Murphy.
King is a more natural fit to the lone 6 role, although an ACL injury ruled him out for the entirety of last season.
A loan move for the 23-year-old looks the most likely option right now, at least for the first half of the campaign, as he works his way back to full fitness – potentially with a League One club.
Given the way Brian Barry-Murphy has operated since arriving at Cardiff City last June, the decision to move on Ryan Wintle feels like a deliberate one.
The Irishman is building a younger, more athletic and mobile squad capable of coping with the demands of Championship football and his possession-based, high-intensity system.
Whether Cardiff opt for proven EFL quality, an ambitious loan, or a more adventurous signing, trying to replace Wintle will be one of the club’s most important decisions of the summer.
They must get it right, and if so, it could prove to be one of the defining moves of the Bluebirds’ return to the second tier.
