Cardiff City have loaned out forward Kion Etete to Scottish Premiership side St Mirren until the end of the season.
He becomes their third signing of the window, linking up with ex-Imp Dan Nlundulu.
Etete joined the Bluebirds in the summer of 20222, and has had two separate loan stints in League One in the past 12 months. Injuries have caused his career no shortage of problems, playing just 73 minutes for Bolton Wanderers in the second half of last season.
The 24-year-old was also recalled from his temporary stint at Rotherham United earlier this month, following 14 appearances for the Millers across all competitions.
But even that spell was plagued by injury issues and troubles getting back up to fitness. It leaves his career at a crossroads, some way from the player that left Tottenham Hotspur three and a half years ago for a reported £500k fee.
After completing the move to the Scottish top-flight outfit, Etete revealed his ambitions for his latest loan spell.
“I want to do well, I want to score goals and I want to see how far up the table we can go.
“I trained today. It’s a great bunch of lads and I can’t wait to meet the rest of them.
“I think a lot of the stuff that the gaffer said to me I liked the sound of. I spoke to David Turnbull a little, asked him about the gaffer and he had good things to say.”
Etete had an identical record in his first two campaigns at Cardiff, playing 28 Championship matches and scoring three times in each season. He added a further three goals in cup competitions during his second season, taking his tally at the club to nine in 63 appearances.
But it is approaching two years since the 24-year-old last represented the Bluebirds in a league match, a narrow win at Bristol City in March 2024. A groin injury curtailed his involvement in that campaign, but that was just the start of his injury woes.
Etete was always expected to depart in the January window, with his injury luck clearly causing himself and manager Brian Barry-Murphy plenty of issues. While he is under contract until 2027, that only gives him a year to try and force himself back into contention at the Cardiff City Stadium.
How Does This Affect Cardiff?
The Bluebirds are flying high at the top of League One at the moment, but things haven’t been as rosy off the pitch. Cardiff were hit with a transfer embargo for failing to submit their annual accounts, but that issue was rectified last Friday.
And the South Wales outfit wasted no time in signing players following that breakthrough, landing goalkeeper Harry Tyrer on a permanent deal from Everton. With less than a fortnight of the window remaining, further incomings should be expected as they look for an immediate return to the Championship.
There was more positive news yesterday as Yousef Salech penned a new deal with the Bluebirds, signing a one-year extension on his existing contract. His 12 goals have helped Cardiff reach the third-tier summit this season, ranking second for goals scored.
It feels unlikely then that Barry-Murphy will target any attacking signings in this window, potentially looking for depth in other areas of the pitch. That does all depend on the Bluebirds keeping hold of key assets in the next two weeks.
A huge weekend at the top of League One awaits, with four of the top six sides going head-to-head. That includes Cardiff, who host a Stockport County side closing in on the automatic promotion places.
Simultaneously, new Huddersfield Town boss Liam Manning is set for a baptism of fire against West Yorkshire rivals Bradford City. With Lincoln City hosting Burton Albion tomorrow evening, all four sides will know where they stand by the start of play on Saturday lunchtime.