The Bluebirds boss spoke after the 1-0 win over Port Vale in their penultimate home fixture of the campaign
Brian Barry-Murphy said Cardiff City will deal with the transfer and contract situations surrounding Nathan Trott, Perry Ng, Ryan Wintle and Joel Bagan at the end of the season and branded any speculation “a waste of time”.
As things stand, Saturday will be the last time all four play in front of Cardiff fans, with the quartet having played a huge part in this promotion campaign.
Ng, Wintle and Bagan, of course, have been with City for a number of years and have racked up hundreds of appearances in a blue shirt between them.
But ahead of Saturday’s final home match of the season against Northampton Town, Barry-Murphy played it with the straightest of bats when asked about the trio’s contract situations. Join the Cardiff City breaking news and top stories WhatsApp community.
“They’ve all had incredible seasons and they’ll all be under consideration for Saturday,” he said.
“We’ll pick the team on Friday based on who is in the best condition and who gives us the best chance of winning. There’s nothing definitive to update at the moment. It’s been a very busy period.”
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On his own personal involvement in said contract talks, he added: “Not a huge amount of input from me in contracts.
“The recruitment team have been excellent since I came in. They do a lot of work behind the scenes and are prepared for all eventualities.”
Trott has been one of the standouts this season and produced a fine save in Cardiff’s 1-0 win over Port Vale on Wednesday night, denying Valiants captain Ben Garrity after a dangerous header.
Cardiff are understood to have a clause in Trott’s contract which triggers a purchase option upon promotion back to the Championship, which the Bluebirds achieved following their win over Reading last weekend.
But amid reports in Denmark suggesting initial talks between Cardiff and Trott have not resulted in a deal, Barry-Murphy said “speculation is a waste of time”.
“I think he’s done great over the course of the season and we’re very grateful to have him,” he said of Trott.
“Like I said on the other players, there are so many different moving parts to those things. Speculation is a waste of time. If something happens, then it happens.
“The focus is on these remaining games. Once the season finishes, those situations between players and clubs will be dealt with.”
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On the pitch, Cardiff just about managed to get over the line thanks to a well-taken header from Rubin Colwill late on in a 1-0 win over Port Vale.
After Saturday’s promotion celebrations, the Irishman admitted he was unsure what to expect from his players.
“It’s difficult to predict what level of performance you can reach after the euphoria of Saturday,” he said. “But I’m very pleased with the players. We managed to create chances in the second half and played well enough to win.
“The players should savour every moment with their families, friends and each other, because it’s not always common to get promotion so early. But when it comes to games, there has to be a real focus on playing well and trying to win. That’s what our supporters expect and deserve.”
And he hopes Saturday’s clash with the Cobblers will represent another opportunity for a big day of celebration with the supporters, as well as the players and their families, as just reward for their promotion-winning campaign. Sign up to our daily Cardiff City newsletter here.
“It’s very important we enjoy these moments,” he said. “The reality is that when a season ends, it’s unlikely the same group will all be together again. So you have to treasure it, enjoy it and take stock of what the players have achieved.
“Hopefully we get a big crowd at Cardiff City Stadium and deliver a great performance.
“It’s important the players’ families and friends can come onto the pitch afterwards and share in it. They’ve played a huge role. Without them, it wouldn’t be possible.”


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