By the end of November, the Bluebirds were only three points out of the top six, in eighth place. With eight games remaining, they are now eight points outside of the top six in 11th place.
Having won four straight games, Erol Bulut’s team still appeared to have a remote possibility of accomplishing their objective. However, a 2-0 setback to fierce rivals Swansea City on Saturday has seriously raised doubts about that play-off result.
Some of their best first-team players, including Perry Ng, may be a little more likely to go on as a mid-table result seems plausible.
Ng arrived in South Wales in January 2021, having previously played for Crewe Alexandra in his homeland. A reputed £250,000 was the first offer that the Alex turned down. Ultimately, they signed him for an alleged £350,000, which then increased to £500,000.
He really began to thrive after he had adjusted to Championship football. He participated in 43 league games last season, helping to score four goals, and he was named both the club’s and the players’ player of the year.
The Bluebirds’ ability to stay up and barely escape relegation to League One was largely due to Ng. They would have lost if Reading hadn’t been docked six points.
His statistics also demonstrated his performances. He placed in the top 10% of all fullbacks in the division, according to FotMob, for a number of important offensive and defensive metrics, including successful crosses, opportunities created, recoveries, and tackles won.
In August 2023, the 27-year-old signed a new three-year contract as compensation for his accomplishments from the previous season.
This season, he has maintained his form and improved his offensive capabilities. He has now tallied six goals and provided four assists in 34 league appearances, making this his most productive season to date.
Ng might leave Cardiff with Davies in the summer.
Transfer rumours will pick up steam as the season draws to a close, and some player departures from Cardiff City Stadium are anticipated.
Isaak Davies, who scored eight goals in 26 league games after going out on loan to KV Kortrijk in Belgium, is having a great season.
Davies is reportedly being pursued by Freiburg, Monaco, and Genk for a summer signing.
However, Ng might be another player who decides to move.
His performance this season has improved over his extremely successful season last year, and he would have been noticed if he had been playing in the Championship.
Transferring to a larger Championship team might be sufficient; Southampton might be an option if they stay in the league and Kyle Walker-Peters leaves.
They will be able to negotiate a higher cost if someone comes in if they sign Ng to a new contract at the beginning of the season.
It will be intriguing to watch how Ng develops during the summer and how much Cardiff is willing to pay for one of the top players this year.
