Exclusive: Cardiff in advanced talks to sign Aston Villa defender Guilbert
Cardiff City are in advanced talks to sign Aston Villa defender Frederic Guilbert, Football Insider can exclusively reveal.
This site revealed on Thursday that Guilbert has been targeted by Championship trio Cardiff, Bristol City and Middlesbrough after rejecting a temporary move to Turkish club Istanbul Basaksehir.
A Villa source has told Football Insider that Cardiff are now closing in on the signature of the right-back, 26, on what would be a loan deal.
The Premier League high flyers have given the green light for Guilbert to head out for the second half of the season.
Cardiff's swoop for Guilbert comes as they are also poised to sign striker Max Watters from Crawley Town.
Football Insider broke the news on Friday morning that Neil Harris' side have leapfrogged bitter rivals Swansea City in the race for the 16-goal striker.
Cardiff are looking to strengthen by also bringing in a new right-back during the January window.
This site first revealed on 29 December that Villa were planning to loan out Guilbert in January so he can get regular first-team football.
The Frenchman has not featured in the Premier League this season and is behind first choice Matty Cash and Ahmed Elmohamady in the right-back pecking order in Dean Smith's side.
Guilbert was the first choice for much of last season, his first full one at Villa Park.
He has initially joined from French club Caen in January 2019 but was then loaned back for the rest of that season.
The one-time France Under-21 international has been limited to just two appearances in the League Cup this season.
Elmohamady, who turned 33 in September, has been preferred this term but is out of contract at the end of the season.