UK Edition
Cardiff City sign Oumar Niasse on loan from Everton
Cardiff City have completed their first signing of the January transfer window with a loan deal for Everton's Oumar Niasse for the rest of the season
The Senegal centre-forward , who spent the second-half of the 2016-17 season on loan at Hull City, could be quickly followed by the Nantes striker Emiliano Sala, who is expected to undergo a medical on Friday.
"I'm relieved because I thought it was done yesterday," Cardiff manager Neil Warnock said when told at the end of his pre-match press conference for Saturday's game at Newcastle that the Niasse deal had been completed.
"It has been a little bit unrestful this morning, something I could have done without. But it's nice to know that he's available for selection [at Newcastle]. Now it's all sorted out I can just concentrate on the game."
Warnock revealed that his former Sheffield United player Phil Jagielka, now at Everton, had spoken highly to him of Niasse.
"Jagielka said he'd be my type of player and do well for us," Warnock said. "When I look at the squad there's not many players on loan who are like Niasse. "I wanted [Nathaniel] Clyne but that meant I wouldn't have been able to get Niasse because of the loan rules.
"So it could be fate and now he's got this opportunity to put himself in the shop window."
Senegal striker Niasse, 28, has had a bit-part role at Goodison Park since arriving in a £14 million deal in January 2016.
Sala is expected to become Cardiff's second January signing in a club-record deal, although the transfer is unlikely to be completed in time for him to feature at St James' Park. "We're optimistic about that," Warnock said. "It's around £15million, but that's what strikers cost. I like him, he's a hard worker.
"He's not going to knock the walls down but we need strikers. So if I could get both I would. But not for Newcastle, because you've got to do a proper medical."