Cardiff City have started the campaign in top form and remain unbeaten after seven matches in all competitions following their relegation from the Championship last season. Their approach to trimming the squad this summer appears to be a success so far, and reports suggest that another player could be set to leave the Cardiff City Stadium.
The Bluebirds have seen six different players score in their League One outings to date. 20-year-old Cian Ashford is one of those, and he is attracting interest from a Championship outfit.
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Ashford has scored six goals and provided four assists in 47 appearances for Cardiff City, with two of those strikes coming in the current campaign. The talented right-sided forward scored the opener in the win over Swindon Town in the Carabao Cup earlier this month and bagged the second in a 3-0 win over Rotherham United.
The academy graduate is developing into a fixture on the right wing for the team, and he ranked fourth for total successful dribbles at the club in the Championship last season. This is despite the fact that he started just 17 times in the second tier.
His ability on the ball has continued after the drop to League One, as no player in the Cardiff City squad averages higher than his tally of 2.0 successful dribbles per game. This attribute is important as the Bluebirds often dominate possession against deep-lying opposition and require attackers with the confidence to take on defenders.
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Sheffield United need reinforcements as they have suffered three consecutive defeats in the Championship to start the new campaign, in addition to being knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Birmingham City.
Louie Barry and Tom Cannon are strong options in attack. However, they have yet to open their accounts for the club. They could now see increased competition for their places as journalist Darren Witcoop is reporting that the Blades have reignited their interest in Asford, despite the League One side insisting he is not for sale.
It may seem like a strange move for the player to make, as his playing time would be far from guaranteed.
Sheffield United may just be testing the waters in their search for quality additions after a poor start to the campaign, and according to the source, there was interest in the player in January.
It does seem unlikely that this deal will progress any further in the final week of the transfer window.