Cardiff City are preparing a move for Middlesbrough striker Uche Ikpeazu, as per a report from Football Insider. 

The report states that there is competition for the 25-year-old at present, however, it is the Bluebirds who are currently in the ascendancy as they look to bolster their attacking options this month. 

Middlesbrough manager Chris Wilder made it no secret that the Neil Warnock signing was not part of his plans moving forward, and it appears that a Championship move could be on the cards. 

Cardiff's interest in the physical forward comes after an update from BBC's Kris Temple, who has reported that Bournemouth are edging closer to agreeing a deal for Kieffer Moore. 

Football League World exclusively learnt back in November that Ikpeazu's former employers, Wycombe Wanderers are also monitoring his situation, with the Chairboys chasing down a return to the second-tier. 

The verdict

Cardiff's interest in Ikpeazu could be bad news on the Kieffer Moore front, however, the Middlesbrough forward certainly has Championship-level ability and proved that with Wycombe last season. 

Ultimately, if the Bluebirds can ensure that Ikpeazu gets sufficient service, he is likely to enjoy a spell with Cardiff, whilst he offers physicality and attacking intelligence. 

He has displayed that he is a handful in the second-tier, with his lack of game time at Boro recently, solely coming down to the fact that he does not fit Wilder's vision. 

Ikpeazu has never been the most prolific of forwards, but he offers a lot of desirable attributes that make him a real menace in the final third.