Cardiff City are set to return to Gresty Road to raid Crewe Alexandra in an attempt to bring Ryan Wintle to South Wales, according to Football Insider.

The Bluebirds took right-back Perry Ng from the Railwaymen during the January transfer window in a £350,000 deal, and Mick McCarthy looks likely to take a second young star from the League One outfit.

Crewe boss David Artell confirmed earlier in the month that it didn't look as though centre midfielder Wintle would extend his deal with the club, with a move to the Championship looking likely.

The 23-year-old started his career in the North West Counties League with Alsager Town before Crewe snapped him up in 2015 when he was 18 years old, and he would make his senior debut for the club later that year.

More of a holding midfielder compared to an attacking one, Wintle has notched up 163 league appearances and nine goals for the Crewe but it looks like his time at the Alexandra Stadium has come to an end.

 

 

 

 

Cardiff already have the likes of Marlon Pack, Will Vaulks and Leandro Bacuna as midfield options in their squad but McCarthy looks as though he wants to add a bit more of a youthful presence into the mix and he will be hoping to convince Wintle to join his former team-mate Ng in the Welsh capital.

The Verdict

Crewe will get a small compensation fee for Wintle when he moves on, but whoever does win the race for the 23-year-old will get a bargain.

Wintle can dictate the play from the engine room and he could be seen as a younger version of Marlon Pack - but a bit more technical.

It wouldn't be a shock though to see other Championship clubs rival Cardiff for Wintle's signature as he seems like a player who could make the step up pretty easily - you have to feel for Crewe though who are having their team picked apart with Wintle, Ng and Harry Pickering all leaving since January.