Exclusive: Transfer collapses after Aston Villa star U-turn
A second Cardiff City transfer has collapsed at the eleventh hour after Aston Villa defender Frederic Guilbert pulled out of the move, Football Insider can exclusively reveal.
This site revealed last week that Cardiff were in advanced talks to sign Guilbert ahead of Bristol City and Middlesbrough after he had already rejected a move to Turkish club Istanbul Basaksehir.
But a Villa source has told Football Insider the right-back, 26, has rejected a January loan to Neil Harris' side.
It means Cardiff have lost out of their second defender signing within hours after Bournemouth star Jack Simpson pulled out after a £750,000 fee had been agreed.
However, some solace has been provided for Harris with the expected completion of the signing of Crewe Alexandra centre-back Perry Ng.
Football Insider revealed on Monday morning that Cardiff have agreed to meet Ng's £250,000 release clause and, barring any more late hitches, the deal should go through.
Losing out on Guilbert is nonetheless a blow for the Championship side.
He had been targeted as a right-back or proven pedigree capable of slotting straight into the team.
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.
The one-time France Under-21 international has been limited to just two appearances in the League Cup this season.
He has played 31 times for Villa since signing from Caen in January 2019, before being initially loaned back for half a season.