Cardiff City sign Manchester City's Josh Wilson-Esbrand on loan

Cardiff City have completed the signing of Josh Wilson-Esbrand on loan from Manchester City for the remainder of the season.

The switch to South Wales for the left-back comes after his temporary spell at French club Reims was cut short, with the player struggling to nail down a regular first-team spot.

Under the tutelage of Will Still, Wilson-Esbrand featured 11 times in Ligue 1 during the first half of the 2023-24 campaign but only started five of those contests.

The 21-year-old has prior experience of Championship football, having spent last campaign on loan at Coventry City, where he played 14 matches as Mark Robins's men narrowly missed out on promotion to the Premier League.

Wilson-Esbrand will return to the second tier of English football at the Cardiff City Stadium, and the youngster has spoken of his excitement after the loan deal was confirmed.

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Welcome to South Wales, @jwilsonesbrand! 💙

The 21-year-old joins on loan from @ManCity for the remainder of the season.#CityAsOne

— Cardiff City FC (@CardiffCityFC) February 1, 2024

"I'm very privileged to be here. I'm happy to get to know the boys and help the team," Wilson-Esbrand told Cardiff City TV on Thursday afternoon.

"I'm just looking forward to going out there and trying to push this team as far as we can get. For me, I just want to be as efficient as I can in the final third.

"I want to play as often as I can, rack up the minutes, rack up the games and as a team, just push as far as possible."

Following the arrivals of centre-back Nathaniel Phillips and former Bristol City striker Famara Diedhiou, Wilson-Esbrand becomes Cardiff's third signing of the January window.

Bluebirds manager Erol Bulut was keen to recruit this month to boost his side's playoff ambitions, with the Welsh club currently 14th in the Championship table, seven points behind sixth-placed Coventry City.

After losing out Wales international Kieffer Moore to second-tier rivals Ipswich Town, the Turkish coach is focused on the qualities of the players at his disposal, especially new arrival Wilson-Esbrand.

© Reuters

"First of all, he comes from a really big team, Manchester City. He's been on loan at Reims and also in the Championship with Coventry City, where he played in the Play-Offs," said Bulut.

"I see in him some good offensive actions, positive on the ball and good crosses. As a full-back, a wing-back and a winger, he can add a lot of things.

"He gives us flexibility, that's important. I spoke to him about what kind of style we play and where I see him as a player, not only as a left-back, but also as a winger.

"For Reims, I was watching, he was also playing as a number eight, he did quite well in that position. It's good that he is flexible."

Subject to international clearance, Wilson-Esbrand could make his Cardiff debut when the Bluebirds travel to Watford on Saturday in the Championship.