Harris is a man with a plan for transfer window

CARDIFF City manager Neil Harris has revealed he is using his time off to meticulously plan his summer transfer window.

With football currently on hold, it is anyone’s guess when, or indeed if, the current season will be completed, with there certain to be a knock-on effect for transfers, too.

But Bluebirds chairman Mehmet Dalman quickly moved to curb fans’ expectations when it comes to the next window, citing the financial implications the coronavirus has had on owner Vincent Tan’s business in recent months.

Cardiff have made it clear since Harris’ appointment that the club are looking to become far more self-sustaining, the days of splashing big in the market appear to be over, certainly while they ply their trade in the Championship.

And that is now more important than ever, given Cardiff’s heavy reliance on the financial clout of Tan.

Either way, Harris, pictured, is ensuring that when the time is right, he will have all bases covered, keeping an especially-keen eye on those players whose deals end this summer.

“It becomes about recruitment – thinking about the squad, thinking about out-of-contract players,” he told the BBC of his time in lockdown.

“What are the financial implications going to be on football and our club in particular?

“Are we going to be able to bring anybody in? There is a lot of talk about recruitment at the moment.”

Given the financial uncertainty surrounding not only Cardiff City but football in this country as a whole, Harris believes we are likely to see a knock-on effect as to how much cash is actually in the game.

“I think the real knock-on effect will be in the next transfer window and the one after that – at least two transfer windows if not more,” he added.

“I think it will slow down the progress of foreigners coming into the game in the UK because I don’t think the money will be there.

“I think we will see lower wages within the country, from the Premier League downwards.”

The debate over when football should restart is a lively one, given the riches and how important it is to the UK economy and morale.

But Harris’ view on how, or even when, to finish the season appears to be shifting with each passing week.

“We would love the opportunity to finish the current campaign,” he added.

“But there is a bigger picture to this. The welfare of people in Wales, the people in the UK, my family, everybody’s family, is the most important thing.

“If we are going to recommence this season, it has to be in the safest possible environment and I think it is going to be tough for the EFL to do that.

“I would like the season finished for the integrity of the game, however long that takes.

“Is it realistic? I change my mind every week.”