Jason Koumas Returns To Cardiff City

Cardiff City have agreed terms with Wigan Athletic to secure the return of prodigal son Jason Koumas on loan from Wigan Athletic. Whilst the Latics would surely have preferred a permanent move for the man who cost them £5.3m, manager Roberto Martinez has opted to cut their losses and continue picking up a sizable proportion of his wages.

Koumas has never made it on the big stage, and his most impressive form was during a previous loan spell from WBA where he netted 13 goals over the season including some memorable strikes (one such effort against Leeds United on his debut). He has been dogged by concerns over fitness, attitude and commitment but, as with the likes of Jay Bothroyd, Dave Jones has shown his managerial quality in extracting the best from players few other clubs would take a risk on.

There`s no doubt that Koumas has quality, and can be a big player in the Championship. However, this season will be a difficult one for him. He has produced his best football cutting inside from the left flank, a position currently occupied by Peter Whittingham and ably covered by Ross McCormack. He could be considered a creative replacement for Ledley in the centre, but a midfield duo of McPhail and Koumas lacks the physicality and bite for Championship football.

As yet, Koumas is not eligible to play since his transfer cannot be registered with the football league. Once the transfer embargo is lifted, the registration of Tom Heaton, Danny Drinkwater and Jason Koumas can be made. At least all three have been with the squad for pre-season training, and once available are all capable of contributing and challenging for a starting position.

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