Neil Warnock has revealed Cardiff City are prepared to sell in-form centre-forward Kenneth Zohore, but only if a Premier League club offers £30m-plus.
“If we got £30m offered we’d have to sell him,” says the Bluebirds manager.
Warnock, though, does not expect any movement and said: “If Kenneth has another good season with Cardiff than the sky’s the limit for him.”
The transfer window slams shut on Thursday, August 31, less than a week away, and Warnock is hoping things are quiet for the Bluebirds.
He is still keen to bring in a new midfield player, while Craig Noone, Anthony Pilkington and Declan John are all available for transfer and there have been enquiries.
Warnock wants Zohore to stay for the sake of Cardiff City and the player’s future, saying: “Clubs will be looking at Ken anyhow. Agents have a lot of influence at times.
“I hope in Ken’s situation he listens to me as well. I think I’ve changed his whole career around and sometimes you get the wrong advice and you just hope it’s not adhered to.
“If he has another good season here I think the sky’s the limit. You can go a bit too early, especially with the money flying around in the Premier League at the minute.
“We might get £15m offered for Nathaniel Mendez-Laing at this rate! I think if we got £30m offered we’d have to sell him.
“What price do you put on someone like that? I think Kenneth’s better than a lot of the ones that have moved on, but we’re not thinking about it really.
“What is money nowadays. It’s a commodity Premier League clubs have all got.”
Cardiff, have started their season with four successive wins and stand top of the Championship, are certain to have Zohore leading their attack against Warnock’s former club Queens Park Rangers at home on Saturday (3pm).
The Yorkshireman was in charge at Loftus Road from March 2010 to January 2012 and says: “It was a fabulous year or so I’ll never forget, one of the best in my life.
“Similar circumstances (to those at Cardiff), they were struggling and then we had a great season. I still get plenty of messages from the QPR fans. It takes some beating.
“We were high up most of the season, had a good group and we had a nice blend.
“The team spirit at Cardiff is the best team spirit since QPR, I don’t think you can compare the team but we have the same type of characters. Good pros. And we didn’t spend much money.”
Warnock revealed he has sent young striker Ibrahim Meite out on loan to Crawley Town until January, while centre-back Sol Bamba has committed to the Bluebirds for the next three years.
Bamba, 32, is a kingpin at the heart of Cardiff’s defence and Warnock says they have had enquiries about the centre-back.
“We’ve agreed to give Bamba a three-year deal, which we’re delighted with,” said Warnock.
“He’s done really well and it’s only right we give him that little bit of security. Sol is so committed to the club and he doesn’t seem to get any older!”
Bamba signed for Cardiff as a free agent outside the transfer and Warnock has faith in the big man, saying: ”I know how good he is I would not worry about playing Bamba if he was in the top flight, let alone the Championship. That is how much I rate him.
“I had quite a number of inquiries for him in the summer and I don’t want to anything to start cropping up. He’s loving it at the moment, you can see by the way he’s playing.
“I spoke to (owner) Vincent Tan and (chairman) Mehmet Dalman. They agreed that if that is the way forward they would support me. It’s just another foundation. We already have a good foundation with him staying, Sean Morrison staying and Joe Bennett wants to stay.”
Cardiff City, probable: (4-4-2) Etheridge, Peltier, Morrison, Bamba, Richards, Gunnarsson, Ralls, Mendez-Laing, Damour, Hoilett, Zohore. Bench, from: Tomlin, Manga, Halford, Kennedy, Murphy, Bogle, D Ward, O’Keefe.
