Cardiff City midfielder Will Vaulks would prefer to play in the Championship next season despite appreciating the size and history of linked League One side Sheffield Wednesday, according to a report from Yorkshire Live.

The 28-year-old is out of contract in the Welsh capital this summer and with Marlon Pack already confirmed to be leaving and Leandro Bacuna likely to join him, with Joe Ralls' future remaining uncertain and previous loanee Tommy Doyle returning to Manchester City, Steve Morison may just opt to have a complete rebuild in the middle of the park.

That leaves Vaulks' future uncertain with Ebou Adams already arriving from Forest Green Rovers on a free transfer - and that could open the door for the Owls to negotiate a permanent deal with their current target.

 

 

At 28, the midfielder is able to enter contract negotiations with other sides and Wednesday have already held talks with the 28-year-old, though it's currently unclear whether he will put pen to paper on terms at Hillsborough.

Making 36 league appearances in the second tier last term though, Yorkshire Live believes Vaulks would prefer to remain in his current division with several sides in the league currently taking a close look at the free-agent market.

One potential glimmer of hope for Darren Moore's side is the fact he reportedly appreciates the "size and history" of the South Yorkshire side and that may potentially persuade him to sign on with the third-tier outfit.

The Verdict:

This could be a good move for Vaulks to make considering the Owls are likely to be one of the favourites to secure promotion next season.

It's almost hard to remember that Moore had to rebuild his side last summer and this is why their finish in the promotion mix was more of an achievement than many people thought it was, with many focusing on the calibre of players they have at their disposal.

They certainly have the ingredients to push on for a second-tier return next term though - but they will need to add a few first-teamers if they are to be challenging again with the goalkeeping position, centre-back department and forward area all needing to be addressed.

A defensive midfielder could be good to add balance in the middle of the park though - because Vaulks' presence in front of a back three or four could enable the likes of George Byers and Barry Bannan to push higher up the pitch.

And his arrival could be crucial to their promotion hopes, so it will be interesting to see whether the Welshman decides to gamble and take the step down with real hopes of winning promotion with the Owls at the first time of asking.

He could potentially wait for more offers to come in though with second-tier sides possibly sniffing around him.