Cardiff City are set to start life in the Championship for the 2016/17 season under the leadership of new head coach Paul Trollope and the club has already stated it has aspirations to push for a top six finish come the end of the season.

Part of the plan needed to prepare the club for such a push this season includes Trollope scouting near and far for players that he feels can join the club and deliver the goals needed that were so desperately lacking up top last campaign.

The club has already released high-earners Kenwyne Jones and Etien Velikonja. Fellow striker Eoin Doyle has already been sold to division rivals Preston.

Meanwhile, outcast strikers Federico Macheda and Adam Le Fondre still remain but realistically the only first team striker with the club who is likely to be regularly involved next season is the enigma that is Idriss Saadi.

Football League World writer Steve Day takes a look at which three Championship players would make ideal signings for Cardiff City in this summer transfer window.

Johnny Russell

Johnny RussellJohnny Russell

If there is one thing Cardiff want in a striker right now it is versatility. The club was linked with a move for Russell during the January transfer window but it was reported that the former Dundee United forward was keen to fight for his place at Pride Park under new head coach Darren Wassall.

Wassall has shown continued faith in the 26-year old Scotsman who made 42 league appearances for the Rams last season and scored 9 goals. It was an impressive record with Russell playing the majority of his games out wide.

The Bluebirds know that a player like Russell might cost a few million and it could stretch the budget but he is a player who has adapted well to life in the Championship.

He is scoring and assisting from out wide and with the future of Craig Noone uncertain Russell could be the player that Trollope wants to bring to the Cardiff City Stadium to add more goals to the team.

Jamie Ward

Jamie Warddd

Without sounding harsh, Ward is likely to be considered the back-up plan if the transfer of Russell does not happen. The Northern Ireland international has risen through the ranks of the Football League after starting moving to former League Two club Torquay after failing to break into the Aston Villa first team.

Ward has since had spells at Chesterfield, Sheffield United, Derby, and now Nottingham Forest where he has won plaudits for his ability to impact the game both out wide and up the centre of the pitch. It has contributed to him earning 20 caps for his national side.

The 30-year old might be entering the twilight period of his years but his form with the Tricky Trees shows he still has a lot to offer.

He might not have scored too many goals but his lively performances and versatility would make him a solid option for Trollope at the Bluebirds.

Sebastian Polter

Sebastian Polter

The signing of Polter to QPR last summer was one that came out of the blue. Nobody had really heard of the former FSV Mainz 05 striker and it left many Hoops fans bewildered. Still, the German front man has done reasonably well in his first season in English football by scoring 6 goals in a QPR side that has struggled for consistency this last campaign.

Under new manager Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Polter could find his first team opportunities limited with the Dutchman looking to put more faith in Conor Washington for the upcoming season as he looks to turn the Loftus Road club into promotion contenders.

Polter would be a brilliant outlet up top for the Bluebirds. They would benefit from taking on a player with a season in the Championship under his belt. He has already proven he can hit the back of the net and now he has adapted to the pace and physicality of the division he could score even more if he settles quickly. He is also unlikely to cost the world as Hasselbaink will look to simply gain some income for a player he did not sign initially.

What do you think of these three players? Are they suitable signings for Cardiff? Do any other players spring to mind? Let us know in the comments section below.