Whitehead expects Cardiff City signings

Dean Whitehead has had one game in temporary charge of Cardiff City, the 5-2 FA Cup third round replay defeat at Leeds United

Cardiff City caretaker manager Dean Whitehead expects the club to make signings before the end of the month.

Cardiff are able to sign loan players and free agents after having their transfer embargo lifted, with some restrictions remaining in place.

Whitehead, 41, says he and the club's recruitment team are "working really hard to get players into the club".

The lifting of the Bluebirds' transfer embargo follows Cardiff paying the first instalment of the £15m transfer fee for striker Emiliano Sala, who died in a plane crash en route to joining the club in January 2019.

Fifa imposed a transfer embargo for three transfers windows following Cardiff's refusal to pay the first instalment of the fee they had agreed for Argentine striker Sala.

Cardiff had insisted Sala was not officially registered as their player.

They lost their appeal against that ruling by Fifa at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne in 2022.

FIFA has confirmed to BBC Wales Sport that the transfer embargo it imposed on the club has been lifted, following the English Football League removing restrictions on Cardiff last week.

However, Cardiff are only able to sign free agents and loan players, they are still prohibited from spending transfer fees.

Defender Mark McGuinness has returned to Cardiff after being recalled from his loan at Sheffield Wednesday, but the club is yet to make any other signings this month.

"I think the recruitment team will have a list of players…. and they will be doing everything they can to get players into the club," said Whitehead.

"We are working really hard behind the scenes to get players into the club and hopefully we will have one or two before the Hull game [on Feb 4th]".

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Hudson became the second manager sacked by Cardiff this season when his 118 day tenure ended with a 1-1 draw with Wigan.

Hudson succeeded Steve Morison, who was sacked in September after being allowed to sign 17 players in the summer.

Whitehead, who joined the club as a coach under Hudson, says he is happy to continue in charge of the first team for as long as possible and admits that he has managerial ambitions.

"I think eventually along my journey I want to be a manager. Has it come quicker than I expected? Yes of course it has, but this is the situation now and I embrace it and take it head on," he said.