Cardiff City have completed the loan signing of Josh Wilson-Esbrand from Manchester City.
The 21-year-old left-back spent the first half of the season on loan at Stade Reims, playing 13 games and scoring one goal and providing one assist, but the Premier League giants recalled him in order to send him on loan again. Sign up to our daily Cardiff City newsletter here
He becomes the club’s fourth signing of the January window, with Erol Bulut wanting to bolster that left-hand side owing to the workload which has been placed on Jamilu Collins’ shoulders this term.
There is a suggestion that, with Nathaniel Phillips having been signed, Bulut could opt for a slight tweak in formation and go for wing-backs in the latter stages of the campaign. And the manager confirmed he sees him playing more advanced than simply a typical left-back.
“First of all, he comes from a really big team, Manchester City,” Bulut said of Wilson-Esbrand. “He’s been on loan at Reims and also in the Championship with Coventry City, where he played in the play-offs. I see in him some good offensive actions, positive on the ball and good crosses. As a full-back, a wing-back and a winger, he can add a lot of things.
“He gives us flexibility, that’s important. I spoke to him about what kind of style we play and where I see him as a player, not only as a left-back, but also as a winger. For Reims, I was watching, he was also playing as a No. 8, he did quite well in that position. It’s good that he is flexible.”
As Bulut said, Wilson-Esbrand has Championship experience following his loan spell with Coventry last term and the player himself is desperate to add to that experience in the final portion of the campaign.
“I’m very privileged to be here,” the England youth international said. “I’m happy to get to know the boys and help the team. I’m just looking forward to going out there and trying to push this team as far as we can get.
“For me, I just want to be as efficient as I can in the final third. I want to play as often as I can, rack up the minutes, rack up the games and as a team, just push as far as we possible.”
Cardiff are expected to complete the permanent signings of Ethan Horvath from Nottingha
