Margetson. Croft and Whalley in the papers

SWANSEA CITY have made an audacious bid to snatch Wales goalkeeper Martyn Margetson from local rivals Cardiff, The Western Mail can reveal.

It is understood the Swans would be prepared to offer Bluebirds No 1 Margetson a contract of up to three years to persuade him to move to the Vetch.

The 32-year-old keeper, who picked up his first Wales cap in the 1-0 win against Canada last month, is technically a free agent from July 1 as he is yet to be offered a new contract at Ninian Park.

Cardiff told Margetson at the end of last season he would be presented with a fresh deal, but, if that fails to materialise, Swansea are ready to step in and offer him an attractive package that would keep him in his native South Wales.

"We've looked at a number of keepers who are out of contract this summer and Martyn is one of them," said Swans chairman Huw Jenkins.
FULL STORY.

CARDIFF CITY defender Gary Croft could end up playing his football somewhere else next season if another club offers him a longer deal.

The full-back, whose current contract with the Bluebirds expires at the end of this month, returns to Cardiff this week hoping to agree a new one-year deal with the Welsh club.

But the 30-year-old said he may have to think twice about putting pen to paper if a rival club offers him a two or three-year package.

"Cardiff have offered me a one-year contract and, in all honesty, I would have preferred two years," said the former Blackburn and Ipswich player.

"I'm not that old. I'm only 30 and I believe I've got a good few years left in me.
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IT was the storm of the season at Ninian Park - the infamous Gareth Whalley bonus payment row.

And while it may seem like a lifetime away now we're talking just TWO months.

In fact, it was April 26 when the Echo's exclusive story had the whole of South Wales football talking - and probably beyond.

Whalley it emerged stormed out of training the previous Friday morning little more than 24 hours before City's match at Preston, furious at being prevented from breaking the 23-appearance barrier that carried with it a windfall in the region of £50,000.

So with pre-season training at Ninian Park set to start tomorrow, who can blame Whalley for being more than a touch apprehensive about what awaits him in the next 10 months or so.
FULL STORY