The Bluebirds boss spoke about the club's current transfer situation ahead of the game against Bradford City this weekend
11:04, 15 Jan 2026Updated 11:07, 15 Jan 2026
Brian Barry-Murphy insists Cardiff City’s transfer embargo is not a concern for him as the Bluebirds continue to work behind the scenes to resolve the issue — while the head coach confirmed the club are actively trying to sign a new goalkeeper amid links to Everton’s Harry Tyrer.
Cardiff are currently under a transfer embargo after failing to submit their accounts by the required deadline, though sources have indicated there is confidence the matter will be resolved this week.
Barry-Murphy revealed the situation has barely registered on his radar as he prepares his side for Saturday’s 12.30pm kick-off against Bradford. Sign up to our Cardiff City WhatsApp channel here.
“My first notice of it was on Saturday morning,” he said. “It takes up no time in my mind. It will be sorted whenever it’s sorted.”
As WalesOnline exclusively revealed earlier this week, Cardiff are keen on Everton goalkeeper Tyrer, who was at the club undergoing a medical on Tuesday. Barry-Murphy stopped short of naming Tyrer directly but left little doubt about the club’s immediate priorities between the posts.
The City boss explained that squad numbers mean Cardiff cannot afford to be light on goalkeepers.
“When I first came in, we ended up having four goalkeepers with Nathan [Trott], Jak [Alnwick], Ethan [Horvath] and Matt [Turner],” he said. “Now we have two with Nathan and Matt.
“There was a time after the Exeter game when Matt played and was struggling with his knee and we had nobody. Our younger goalkeepers are not ready.
“We are slightly different in terms of the restrictions. We cannot recruit emergency goalkeepers if something happens, so we always have to have three goalkeepers in the building.” Sign up to our daily Bluebirds newsletter here.
Barry-Murphy confirmed the situation has become even more pressing with academy keepers Jake Dennis and Ewen Griffiths both set to go out on loan.
“We need a goalkeeper, definitely,” he added. “We want a goalkeeper straight away.”
Goalkeeper is not the only position on Cardiff’s radar, with Barry-Murphy also highlighting concerns at left-back, where Joel Bagan has been carrying the burden for a prolonged period.
“We are very aware of Joel Bagan being our only left-back for a long time,” he said. “That’s somewhere we are really focused on strengthening. I just don’t know when that will happen.”
Asked whether Cardiff’s recruitment drive is focused purely on the push for promotion or on building something more sustainable, Barry-Murphy was clear his priority remains the immediate task at hand — though he acknowledged the importance of long-term planning.
“My sole focus is on now, because we have to train today and try and win on Saturday,” he said. “What I’m grateful for is the work behind the scenes with the recruitment team in terms of what we are trying to bring in to add real value now and going forward.
“I’m hopeful that Nathan [Trott] can stay beyond this season.”
Barry-Murphy believes strengthening the squad with players who improve Cardiff both now and in the future is key to the club’s wider ambitions.
“If we have players who significantly improve the squad, it benefits us now because we are more competitive and can win games,” he added.
“And in the future, we’re not scrambling around trying to find people because you already have people in the building you believe in.
“It’s important to have people in the club who are valuable assets. That’s important for the future of the club.”
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