Aaron Ramsey has emerged as the clear favorite to take over as Cardiff City's permanent manager, with the club now not expecting to make an appointment until next week. The Wales legend stepped in as interim boss following Omer Riza's sacking and now appears set to guide the "Bluebirds" through their first League One campaign in over two decades.
Despite the ongoing managerial uncertainty, Cardiff have pressed ahead with their summer preparations. The club has confirmed a warm-weather training camp in Murcia, Spain, culminating in a friendly match at the Pinatar Arena on July 12 – though their opponents remain unconfirmed.
The "Bluebirds" are facing a significant rebuild after suffering relegation to the third tier of English football, something they haven't experienced since the 2002/03 season. Tough times, indeed.
Interestingly, one potential candidate has officially removed himself from contention. Nathan Jones, who was heavily linked with the position, signed a new long-term contract with Charlton Athletic on Friday.
"I'm very proud and delighted. I still had three years left but for the club to come to me and want to continue that journey meant a lot to me because it's a club that I love," – Jones stated after committing his future to the Addicks.
With Jones out of the picture, Ramsey's path to the permanent role seems clearer, though Brian Barry-Murphy, Des Buckingham and Ian Evatt have also been mentioned as potential candidates.
The 34-year-old Ramsey had the unenviable task of overseeing Cardiff's relegation during his interim spell. Can he now engineer their revival? The club's additional pre-season fixtures remain to be confirmed, but the groundwork for their League One campaign is clearly underway – with or without a permanent manager at the helm.
