Greek giants now linked with move for Erol Bulut as Cardiff City boss quizzed over other offers

Greek giants Panathinaikos are the latest team to be linked with a move for Cardiff City manager Erol Bulut.

The Bluebirds boss saw his team get hammered 5-2 on Saturday in the final game of the season – and, at time of writing, the final game of the manager's contract.

Cardiff owner Vincent Tan has agreed for negotiations to begin over a new contract for Bulut, however an agreement is still some way off.

READ MORE: Erol Bulut urges Cardiff City to make quicker decisions and reveals priority for next week

READ MORE: Cardiff City fall to crushing last day defeat as Erol Bulut's future undecided

Bulut wants assurances over not only the transfer budget, but the length of his contract and the ability to bolster both his coaching staff and the recruitment department within the club.

Bulut was named in the Turkish media has a potential candidate for the Besiktas job after they decided to part ways with ex-Portugal boss Fernando Santos. Bulut refused to be drawn on those particular links.

However, Turkish sports newspaper Fotospor now claim Panathinaikos could move for Bulut this summer. Reports in Greece — and elsewhere — suggest current boss Fatih Terim will vacate his position as manager and fellow Turk Bulut could fit the bill.

Fotospor report that a meeting has already been held with Panathinaikos' president, Giannis Alafouzos, and Bulut's camp over a potential deal. Sign up to our Cardiff City newsletter here.

The 49-year-old City boss is thought to be an attractive prospect for Panathinaikos because of his experience in Greek football with Panionios, Olympiacos, Olympiacos Volos, OFI Crete and Veria as a player. Bulut's No.2 Nikolaos Karydas, is also Greek while his goalkeeper coach, Mario Galinovic, actually played for Panathinaikos between 2004 and 2011, amassing more than 100 appearances for the club. Galinovic was also the goalkeeper coach for the club between 2015 and 2017.

Bulut, however, has said more than once that he is happy in the Welsh capital and has overseen a dramatic rise in results this season, which has seen Cardiff secure a 12th-place finish in the Championship, a nine-place improvement on last season.

There have been sticky patches along the way and supporters have questioned the style of football and some team selections and substitutions. However, Cardiff want to push ahead and secure a deal for Bulut to be re-appointed.

Bulut on Saturday was asked directly about whether there had been any interest to acquire his services from elsewhere, to which he replied: "No comment. You can answer for yourself – take it as a yes or a no!

"But I've said it many times, I'd like to build here."

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Bulut now heads back to Istanbul and will spend some time with his family, after not seeing his wife and children for some time. There is hope that a decision, one way or another, will be swift so that the club can press ahead with plans for the 2024/25 season and ensure they are not caught on the back foot.

On the very latest with regards to his own future, he said after the defeat by the Millers: "We had positive talks with the chairman, Mehmet (Dalman), but until now I don't have anything clear to say. Now we are on one point, maybe that takes a few days for the club. I don't know.

"Mehmet knows the situation and I hope he has a meeting with Vincent Tan. If the plan to continue with me, from my side it's clear, I said I don't want to be a guest again, I want to be part of the family.

"I believe we can build much better things here. Not only I sign and everything is done, or the youngsters doing well, in a few areas we have to build. Not only one person can build.

"It shouldn't take a long time because I have to make plans for my career and Cardiff have to make plans."