Cardiff City are casting their eyes over Birmingham City defender Harlee Dean, as per a report from Birmingham Live. 

This comes after West London Sport confirmed that QPR were looking to make an offer for the defender after Nottingham Forest sealed the signing of R's target Steve Cook.

The same report states that the R's have also failed in a bid to approach Fulham duo Michael Hector and Alfie Mawson. 

Dean has been restricted to just 270 minutes of Championship football in Birmingham's last 13 matches.

Teden Mengi's arrival at St Andrew's, coupled with the possibility of Dion Sanderson returning to the Blues after Wolves' Covid issues have eased, it appears that Dean's services are no longer required. 

Football League World exclusively learned late last month that Birmingham are looking to offload a few big earners at the club this January, with Dean's possible departure perhaps to be expected.

The verdict 

Dean is a real physical presence who can make an impact in both boxes, which would be an excellent boost to a Cardiff side currently battling away near the relegation zone. 

The Championship experience that the 30-year-old brings, his reading of the game and his leadership qualities, all make him an option that could bolster Cardiff's defensive backline. 

However, Cardiff do possess several options with a lot of experience in central defence. 

The West London Sport report stated that multiple Championship clubs are looking into the possibility of signing Dean, meaning it will not be a simple transfer for any club to complete.