Manager Erol Bulut says Cardiff City will not sell Wales midfielder Rubin Colwill despite offers having been made for the 21-year-old.
But fellow midfielder Romaine Sawyers, 31, has been told he is free to leave the Championship club, who are still hoping to sign a centre-back.
However, Bulut says Colwill will "definitely" stay at Cardiff.
"I know he has had some offers, they have contacted us, but Rubin is doing well," said Bulut.
Attacking midfielder Colwill suffered a frustrating time with injuries in 2022-23 despite being part of the Wales squad at the World Cup in Qatar.
His lack of game time has seen him lose his place in Rob Page's senior Wales squad. Instead he has more recently featured for Wales Under-21s.
This season Colwill has made just one Championship substitute appearance along with a Carabao Cup start, scoring in the first-round win over Colchester United.
Charlton Athletic, Bolton Wanderers and Reading have been linked with the signing the promising youngster ahead of Friday's summer transfer window closing.
However, Bulut is convinced Colwill will have a part to play in Cardiff's Championship campaign.
"He is doing good things, he will get his minutes. He will have his cup games and league games where we need him and he will give the performances we expect from him," Bulut said.
"In the Cup game he did well. He will have to continue to believe in himself and continue to work as he is a young player."
Sawyers joined Cardiff in July 2022, but was late joining the first pre-season under Bulut having been on international duty for St Kitts and Nevis. His only Bluebirds appearance has been for an hour in the Carabao Cup win over Colchester.
The former West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City and Brentford midfielder is an experienced campaigner with almost 400 league appearances under his belt, but Bulut feels he needs a move to extend his career.
The Cardiff manager said: "I had a conversation with him and I was clear with him - and I will not hide it here... we now have many players in midfield so I told him, for his own good, he should try to find a club.
"If he does not get minutes here at the age of 31 it would be best if he takes a look at another club, to leave, to play for another four or five years, as he is planning to play to at least 35 or 36.
"He has spoken to his agent. I think he is trying. He will find something because he is a good player."
Former Leicester City defender Vontae Daley-Campbell, 22, has also been told he can leave this week.
Meanwhile, Bulut has dismissed talk of his centre-back target being Ertugrul Ersoy. The 26-year-old, capped twice by Turkey, has been playing for Super Lig side Istanbulspor on loan from Gaziantep.
Bulut was aware of reports linking the defender with Cardiff but said: "I am not interested in him, I have not spoken to him."
Cardiff will seek their first Championship victory of the campaign at home against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.
They will be without Nottingham Forest loanee Josh Bowler, who has a calf problem.
Right-back Mahlon Romeo is suspended after a red card in last weekend's 2-1 league defeat at Leicester City, but Perry Ng will return from injury to take over the full-back berth.