Cardiff City to finally open contract talks with Erol Bulut in significant breakthrough

Cardiff City owner Vincent Tan has finally agreed to open negotiations over a new contract for Erol Bulut.

The manager has overseen a positive maiden campaign in the Welsh capital, taking Cardiff to a mid-table finish after two seasons of battling relegation. It will be the first time Cardiff have finished higher than the previous season since they were in the Premier League.

It has not been plain sailing for the entire season, nevertheless Bulut has numerous backers within the club. Ultimately, though, the decision over his future lies firmly at Tan's door.

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However, it is understood Tan has now green-lit the process of sitting around the table with Bulut to discuss him staying on as manager. It is a significant breakthrough for the club, most notably because no such decision was sanctioned last year when Sabri Lamouchi was allowed to leave at the end of his short-term deal.

It is no foregone conclusion just yet. While Bulut himself said after the defeat by Middlesbrough on Saturday that he hopes talks will be "positive" over what happens next, the manager wants assurances over what the future looks like next season.

Of course, having to wait this long for the owner to make a decision on him will be weighing on Bulut's mind as he and his representatives get around the table with the Cardiff decision-makers, while the manager's frustrations in the last two transfer windows have been clear to see.

Bulut had to operate within the constraints of a transfer embargo last summer, but the club managed to bolster the squad significantly. January proved a tricky window with plans ripped up at the 11th hour due to Profit and Sustainability rules, which saw the club completely alter their course in the final two days.

Bulut feels he needs backing this summer if the club are to make strides on what has been a decent, consolidatory job this year. The Bluebirds boss is an ambitious and proud manager and wants to strive for better, which will dominate discussions surrounding his — and the club's — future. So, too, will the length of his contract.

A decision is set to be made in the coming days.