Cardiff City's Josh Murphy has been linked with a move away but he has told Goal that his attention is firmly on his current club.

Schalke have reportedly made him a top target this summer with new boss David Wagner said to be a fan, but the 24-year-old is keen to further his stay in Wales.

Murphy signed for the Bluebirds last summer for a reported £11m fee, and he impressed in spells in his first season in the Premier League, despite the team's struggles.

He scored three goals and assisted two from his 22 league starts, but it was his direct style and willingness to express himself which has garnered him praise and attention from the German club.

Speaking of the supposed interest in him, Murphy told Goal: "I can tell you I took no notice of it. I don’t know if there’s any truth in it, but I took no notice of it.

"I wouldn’t say it is a distraction, stuff like that is always going to happen. There is a fine line about it being true and not true.

"It is just something that I would never look into too deeply. It is the end of the season so you always get stuff like that. I see myself staying at Cardiff. Then we go from there.

"You never know what the future holds but as of now I am a Cardiff player and I am gearing up to get ready to fight for promotion to the Premier League."

His dismissal of any reports linking him with a move away will come as welcome relief to Cardiff fans and manager Neil Warnock.

The Cardiff manager will need all his players to show they are committed to the club and focused on achieving the club's ambition of promotion.

The Verdict

It is no surprise to see Murphy linked with a move away, although Schalke is a shock destination. It is great to see a young player who  is grounded and knows exactly what he wants. He hasn't allowed his head to turn and is focused on getting back into the Premier League.

Cardiff showed a lot of faith to spend so much on him. He started to repay that with his performances last season but now he is showing loyalty which is exactly what Warnock and the fans would want to see.

With his mindset clearly in the right place his drive should hopefully be reflected in his performances, and Cardiff can expect him to hit the ground running next season.