WalesOnline spoke to Reading Chronicle journalist Ramy Abou-Setta for the inside track on the Bluebirds' interesting in the Wales midfielder
www.walesonline.co.uk
Cardiff City’s interest in Charlie Savage is long-standing and the midfielder is now reportedly emerging as a summer target with his valuation having dropped significantly in recent months.
The Bluebirds were first linked with the Wales international back in 2023 and their admiration has seemingly not gone away.
Brian Barry-Murphy is currently drawing up his summer transfer wishlist ahead of the club's return to the Championship, with midfield certainly a consideration. And Savage, with his technical ability and impressive work-rate, both qualities Barry-Murphy is known to admire, is thought to be on the Bluebirds' radar once again.
Speaking to WalesOnline, Reading Chronicle journalist Ramy Abou-Setta said Cardiff’s interest appears genuine and club-led, rather than agent-driven.
“Cardiff have held a long-standing interest in the midfielder with the Bluebirds being linked with Charlie in 2023,” he explained.
“The recent interest comes after multiple Championship clubs have been circling to secure his services.
“He would be a solid option for the Bluebirds and would be a great option in Brian Barry-Murphy’s system to bring more youth, but also experience and knowhow.
“Though a lot of transfer speculation often comes from agents, this interest seems to be directly coming from the Cardiff side.”
Savage, the son of former Wales midfielder Robbie Savage, enjoyed another productive campaign in League One with Reading and is viewed by many as ready to step up to Championship level.
Oxford United reportedly saw a £500,000 bid rejected in January, with Reading at that stage valuing the player at more than £1.5million. But with just one year now remaining on his contract, the situation has shifted.
“The fee has come down significantly since then due to it being the end of the season and Charlie only having a year left on this contract," Abou-Setta said.
Skip to main content
Wales Online
Buy a Paper
Funeral Notices
Public Notices
Jobs
Directory
Newsletter Signup
Book an Ad
Marketplace
Buy a photo
Wales Online Icon
Sport
Football
Cardiff City FC
Cardiff City's three-year Charlie Savage pursuit and new cut-price transfer fee
WalesOnline spoke to Reading Chronicle journalist Ramy Abou-Setta for the inside track on the Bluebirds' interesting in the Wales midfielder
View 3 Images
Charlie Savage, of Reading and Wales(Image: Getty Images)
walesonline
Sport
Glen Williams
17:14, 14 May 2026
Cardiff City’s interest in Charlie Savage is long-standing and the midfielder is now reportedly emerging as a summer target with his valuation having dropped significantly in recent months.
The Bluebirds were first linked with the Wales international back in 2023 and their admiration has seemingly not gone away.
Brian Barry-Murphy is currently drawing up his summer transfer wishlist ahead of the club's return to the Championship, with midfield certainly a consideration. And Savage, with his technical ability and impressive work-rate, both qualities Barry-Murphy is known to admire, is thought to be on the Bluebirds' radar once again.
Speaking to WalesOnline, Reading Chronicle journalist Ramy Abou-Setta said Cardiff’s interest appears genuine and club-led, rather than agent-driven.
“Cardiff have held a long-standing interest in the midfielder with the Bluebirds being linked with Charlie in 2023,” he explained.
“The recent interest comes after multiple Championship clubs have been circling to secure his services.
“He would be a solid option for the Bluebirds and would be a great option in Brian Barry-Murphy’s system to bring more youth, but also experience and knowhow.
“Though a lot of transfer speculation often comes from agents, this interest seems to be directly coming from the Cardiff side.”
View 3 Images
Former Wales midfielder Robbie Savage and his family arrive to watch his son Charlie Savage, 20, play his debut during the International friendly match Wales v Gibraltar(Image: Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror)
Savage, the son of former Wales midfielder Robbie Savage, enjoyed another productive campaign in League One with Reading and is viewed by many as ready to step up to Championship level.
Oxford United reportedly saw a £500,000 bid rejected in January, with Reading at that stage valuing the player at more than £1.5million. But with just one year now remaining on his contract, the situation has shifted.
“The fee has come down significantly since then due to it being the end of the season and Charlie only having a year left on this contract," Abou-Setta said.
"It’s understood that £800,000 would be a fee that would be acceptable."
That potentially places Savage within Cardiff’s price range this summer, particularly after the club secured promotion back to the Championship at the first attempt under Barry-Murphy.
Wales ambitions are also believed to be a significant factor.
“It plays quite a big part in it,” Abou-Setta added. “It’s hard to see Charlie breaking his way back into the Wales set-up if he stays at Reading.
“His love for Wales is clear to see. He worked his way up through the youth ranks of the Wales setup and has a clear affinity to his home nation.”
While it remains unclear whether Savage is actively pushing to leave Reading, there is a growing sense this could be the right moment for him to make the jump.
“He does love the club, but I believe he would be looking for a step up at this stage of his career and another season in League One would not be that,” Abou-Setta said.
The 23-year-old’s profile also appears to align closely with the sort of midfielder Barry-Murphy wants in his system.
Savage played predominantly in a 4-2-3-1 shape under Leam Richardson and has operated as a No.6, No.8 and No.10.
“Charlie Savage is a workhorse,” Abou-Setta explained. “He will always press, get into the right positions and force mistakes from his opponents.
“His strengths lie in his passing ability and his knowhow in finding the right passes to get the ball into the final third.
“His weakness lies in his speed; he is not the fastest midfielder but makes up for it by being a ‘quarter-back’ style of midfielder.”
Statistically, Savage’s numbers compare favourably with some of Cardiff’s current creative players.
"Savage was in the 90th percentile for successful passes and successful crosses in League One, in the high 80th percentile for chances created and the 90th percentile for shots and shots on target in the league – rivalling Joel Colwill, David Turnbull and just short of Rubin Colwill," he added.
“He would perfectly fit Brian Barry-Murphy’s system. He is versatile, young and ready to be moulded into the midfielder needed by Cardiff.”
Player of the season Ryan Wintle still has his contract to settle, while Eli King is coming back from a season-ending injury and Dakarai Mafico will have designs on impressing in pre-season, too, so there are some moving parts when it comes to piecing together City's midfield next season.
The years-long Savage links, however, are not going away just yet, it would seem.
WEED CLUB 
