Cardiff City announce Andy Rinomhota exit as nine players now gone
Cardiff City announce Andy Rinomhota exit as nine players now gone
The Bluebirds have not given a new deal to any of the nine players who are out of contract this month
Andy Rinomhota of Cardiff City
(Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency Ltd )
Cardiff City have confirmed midfielder Andy Rinomhota will leave the club at the end of the month when his contract expires.
The 28-year-old departs after three seasons in the Welsh capital, having joined from Reading in the summer of 2022. He made 84 appearances for the Bluebirds in all competitions during his time at Cardiff City Stadium.
A dynamic and combative presence in midfield, Rinomhota struggled to establish himself as a consistent starter in recent campaigns amid fierce competition for places and managerial changes. Join the Cardiff City breaking news and top stories WhatsApp community
He went on loan at Rotherham United last season and it looked as though his time at Cardiff was over, however he resurrected his Bluebirds career this term and went on to win the club's Players' Player of the Season.
In a statement, Cardiff thanked Rinomhota for his service and professionalism during his time in south Wales and wished him the best in the next chapter of his career.
"Following talks with First Team management, Cardiff City FC can confirm Andy Rinomhota will depart at the end of his current agreement, on June 30th, 2025," the club wrote.
Article continues below
"Andy joined during the summer of 2022. He appeared 84 times for the Bluebirds across three seasons.
"Rinomhota won Players' Player of the Season during the 2024/25 campaign.
"His professionalism, tenacity and work rate endeared him greatly to the City support. We'd like to thank Andy for his service and wish him all the very best for the future."
Rinomhota's departure comes as part of a wider summer shake-up at Cardiff, with new head coach Brian Barry-Murphy overseeing preparations for the upcoming campaign.
It comes hours after club captain Joe Ralls, another midfielder, was also confirmed as a summer departure.
The club are expected to reshape their midfield options in the transfer market as they look to improve on a disappointing 2024/25 season. Join the Cardiff City breaking news and top stories WhatsApp community.
Having made over 130 appearances for Reading before joining Cardiff, Rinomhota leaves with valuable Championship experience and is likely to attract interest from clubs across the EFL.
Rinomhota's confirmed exit means none of the nine players whose contracts expired this summer agreed new terms, representing something of a clearout.
The club have confirmed Aaron Ramsey, Jamilu Collins, Raheem Conte, Anwar El Ghazi, Kieron Evans, Dimitrios Goutas, Yakou Méïté, Ralls and now Rinomhota will leave.
Article continues below
The focus, of course, will now turn to incomings, with the squad still lacking defensive reinforcements, different dynamics in midfield and pace out wide. We could be set for a busy summer as the club prepare for League One.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
41 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Why do so many sports stars go into football ownership? Gareth Bale could be latest high-profile icon to move upstairs as ex-Real Madrid man is lined up for Cardiff investment
One of the most curious questions in sport comes when a player calls it a day. What do they do with their free time? Punditry? Coaching? Sail off into the sunset to sit on their millions? It appears there is a new craze: ownership. More and more we are seeing former stars venture into the world of football business, and the latest name may be about to be added to what is becoming a lengthy list. That name belongs to a Welshman who became one of the best players of his generation. It belongs to Gareth Bale. According to The Athletic, Bale has been lined up by a US-based private equity group to front a takeover bid of Cardiff City. The group are said to be in talks over taking ownership of the League One outfit and are looking to partner with Bale as they look to strike a deal. Bale, who has ventured into punditry since retiring last year, could be set to become the new face of the Bluebirds. But which other sport stars have ventured into the world of football ownership? And why? Mail Sport takes a closer look... Gareth Bale is reportedly being lined up to front a takeover of League One side Cardiff City Tom Brady - Birmingham City NFL legend Tom Brady is a minority stakeholder in Birmingham City, regularly seen at games last season, in particular the EFL Trophy final defeat by Peterborough at Wembley. Tom Wagner of Knighthead Capital was behind the £35m deal to take over the club in 2023, before Brady hopped on board. When Brady jumped on board in 2023, Birmingham were fighting for their Championship status but it was too much of an ask under, for some of the run, the leadership of Wayne Rooney. Brady and Co got rid of John Eustace when he had the club challenging for the play-offs, hired Rooney, and spiralled towards relegation. Tony Mowbray and Gary Rowett tried to save them, but it was too little, too late. In the summer, they appointed Chris Davies to steer the ship and they have stormed the third tier. That's not been without spending over 30 times more than any other team in the league - including Wrexham - with Jay Stansfield the biggest purchase at £15million. Wagner, who is a financer by trade, spoke of his ambition to make his side a globally-recognised brand, spouting: 'You go to New York City, you go to LA (Los Angeles), you will see people wearing Birmingham City kit on the street. 'I don't really think they know what they're wearing but they will. We don't want to draw too much attention to it yet but they'll figure it out.' Luka Modric - Swansea City A Ballon d'Or winner and Real Madrid 's most decorated star with 28 major trophies and a veteran of 186 Croatia caps, Luka Modric has joined Swansea as an investor and co-owner. 'This is an exciting opportunity, Swansea has a strong identity, an incredible fanbase and the ambition to compete at the highest level,' he said upon the announcement, while holding a Swansea-branded football. Swansea's new owners have spoken about the need for the Welsh outfit to increase revenue and cut costs after the club made a pre-tax loss of £15.2million in the last financial year, and £17.9m the year before. They were looking for a world-class player to join as an investor to raise the club's global profile, with chairman Coleman saying Swansea must become 'a Championship club not doing Championship things'. Feelers were put out and Modric's long-term agent, Borja Couce, revealed his client was keen to seize the opportunity. Conversations ramped up at the end of last year, but the move was kept under wraps - Mail Sport understands large numbers of club staff weren't even aware something was brewing until a deal was near completion. Multiple meetings were held between Modric, Couce and Swansea's ownership over video call, and members of the club's hierarchy visited the Croat in Spain. Ronaldo - Real Valladolid Widely regarded as one of the greatest strikers in the history of football, Ronaldo - the Brazilian one - had delved into ownership in his post-playing days. O Femomeno was the majority shareholder in Spanish second division club Real Valladolid, who finished bottom of LaLiga last season to suffer relegation to the second tier again. The forward maestro took over the club in 2018, promising to take it forward - and fast. He took on 51 per cent of shares for a reported fee of around £22.3million, ans took on the role of board president. His four years in charge were certainly not boring. His side achieved two promotions but also suffered two relegations - finishing on `6 points last year, which was half the amount of the next-worst team and 25 short of safety. On the back of the disastrous campaign, the Brazil icon sold his stake in the club. His relationship with the fanbase had been damaged, and he had made just one visit to a game in the season. Fans donned banners reading 'Ronaldo Go Home', and they now have their wish. There are now new investors in charge and hopes of a brighter future. The Class of 92 - Salford City Salford City are bidding to 'do a Wrexham' under Manchester United icons David Beckham and Gary Neville after the duo were announced as the spearheads of a new ownership group. It meant that the rest of their former Class of 92 stars would be stepping away. The former Manchester United stars had held a 60 per cent share in the League Two club along with Paul Scholes, Phil Neville, Nicky Butt and Ryan Giggs. However, that quartet has now handed over their shares while Beckham and Neville have brought in new partners and investment of between £11-15million as they target Championship football within five years. Butt is no longer at the club, although Scholes will continue to advise on player trading and Giggs will do likewise on football matters. Peter Lim, the Singaporean businessman whose financial muscle saw the Ammies power through non-league with four promotions in five years, left last year. Beckham - who also fronts Inter Miami in the MLS - and Neville will be joined by Declan Kelly, founder of U.S.-based advisory firm Consello, and Lord Mervyn Davies, chairman of the Lawn Tennis Association. The group first became involved in 2014, and oversaw promotion to League Two. Since then, though, they have struggled, reaching the play-offs just once. Zlatan Ibrahimovic Zlatan Ibrahimovic, known for his character off the field as much as his abilities on it, finally called time on his career in the summer of 2023. It was a career that saw him turn out for the likes of Barcelona, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus, and came to and end at AC Milan. The 43-year-old couldn't stay away, though. He was preparing for life after football before his retirement, and purchased a 23.5 per cent stake in Hammarby IF - a Swedish top flight club based in Stockholm. The current season is ongoing, with Ibra's side - who he once joined in a training session - second in the table with eight wins from their 13 matches so far. They also finished second last season, after coming seventh the year before and third the year before that. Good progress from Ibrahimovic, and a relatively low-key venture. That is apart from when Malmo fans vadalised his statue, given they were unhappy with his move. Paolo Maldini One of the greatest players of all time also makes the list, with Italy icon Paolo Maldini moving into the ownership world when he hung up his boots. Maldini forged an unforgettable playing career with AC Milan and Italy, winning three Champions League titles, seven Italian titles and one Italian Cup. But it was America where he ventured too post-retirement. He was offered the chance to join Carlo Ancelotti's coaching staff at Chelsea in his post-playing career, but he rejected the chance and said he didn't want to go down that route. And, in 2015, he became the co-owner of North American Soccer League club Miami FC. The hope was that the club would be able to join the MLS in the future. That is still yet to happen, with Maldini no longer invovled. Alessandro Nesta was the club's first manager, but there are plenty of ambitions still to realise. Maldini left in 2018 when he accepted the role of sporting director at Milan - which he has now left. Time will tell if he returns to ownership. He became the co-owner of North American Soccer League club Miami FC before leaving shortly after to rejoin AC Milan Jamie Vardy, meanwhile, invested in Rochester New York FC - a side which sadly folded More... Jamie Vardy - Rochester New York FC: The most famous face in the best of the rest is former England forward Jamie Vardy. Vardy, who recently left Leicester City, was co-owner of American soccer club Rochester New York FC. He invested into a minority stake in 2021, and sees his side competed in the third tier of American soccer - the MLS Next Pro. In March 2023, though, the side decided to curtail operations after an agreement with new investors fell through. Didier Drogba - Phoenix Rising: Didier Drogba co-owns Phoeix Rising in the second tier of the United States. He played for the club when the investment went through, before retiring in 2018. Cesc Fabregas and Thierry Henry - Como: Former Arsenal duo Cesc Fabregas and Thierry Henry are minority shareholders in Como in Italy. Fabregas also played for the club before retiring, and is now manager of the Serie A side.
Wales Online
4 hours ago
- Wales Online
Inside the Lions' critical plan to avoid issues that hit so hard eight years ago
Inside the Lions' critical plan to avoid issues that hit so hard eight years ago Perth is seven hours ahead of UK time and sleep experts have curated a thorough plan to adjust ahead of their arrival British and Irish Lions players form a huddle before the Lions 1888 Cup match at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin (Image: Niall Carson/PA Wire. ) The first challenge the British & Irish Lions face in Australia won't be Western Force, but the jet lag that shook the squad eight years ago. On the 2017 tour of New Zealand, Lions players were so affected by it that some fell asleep on the bus to the first game against New Zealand Barbarians. This was largely due to the fact they had arrived just three days before. In 2025, however, an all-encompassing framework to tackle the effects of jet lag has been devised, reports The Telegraph. To ensure they hit the ground running Down Under, the Lions have have teamed up with sleep specialists Resmed. Lions staff Ben Pollard, Aled Walters and Graeme Close will oversee the operation. Food timing and food itself has been taken into consideration, along with immune system protection, sleep monitoring and avoiding alcohol. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. "The sleep and jet-lag plans are a critical aspect of how well we hit the ground running in Australia," said head of athletic performance Walters. "Everyone will expect the performance in Perth. No one will think 'but that was probably due to jet lag'. So that's why what these guys have done is critical." Article continues below Lions head of athletic performance Aled Walters. (Image: (Photo by) ) "What we know from the science is that it typically takes a day and a half to adjust per time zone," said head of performance nutrition Close. "But what we can do is put the science into it and we can get that done in about three to four days. So if we get everything right, we can be completely adapted, ready to rip in for game one." Close even added that feeding time matters to players, and the type of food too. He explains that providing a more brunch-style meal at 8am to trick the body into thinking it's seven hours ahead. Also on the food agenda is ensuring players do not over-eat. Close explains that the most common cause for constipation after a flight is eating too much, because the body "doesn't really like a lot of food when you're not moving very much". As well as this, on their flight to Australia, the airline were asked to provide breakfast when it's morning time in Perth, as well as to adjust the lighting to co-ordinate with the time Down Under. Also on the flight, players were asked to change their watches to Perth time, and as part of the advice given to them on the plane, there were even caffeine cut-off times. When it comes to the immune system, players need to be in peak condition ahead of the first touring match. Therefore, Lions have been given immune support packages which include chewing gum to increase saliva production, which protects the body from picking up infections. Immune support also spills into the food players eat, too. First-defence nasal sprays were also provided to players to protect them from picking up anything dodgy. Despite alcohol being a popular fixture in famous Lions tales, especially when it comes to player bonding, it is off limits ahead of their travel to Australia. Close explains that any more than four units of alcohol can impair sleep. "We've all done it when we've had a skinful," he said. "You might get off to sleep quickly, but you're waking up quite often during the night. We know that alcohol does impair sleep. It also puts some stress on the immune system as well. And in excess, it's a diuretic, so it will dehydrate you. So, you put all that together and it's probably not a good thing." Measures will also be taken to manipulate the circadian rhythm (the body's natural sleep-wake cycle) of players. This will take into account light exposure, social times and training times. Pollard adds that players will be asked to not check their phones if they wake in the middle of the night, which would expose them to stimulating blue light. Also, before bed, players are encouraged to take a hot shower. The body falls asleep by a fall in core temperature, and Pollard says you can artificially achieve this with a hot shower. Player sleep will be monitored using Whoop wristbands. Walters explains the statistics from these bands will be used to inform coaches. Article continues below "If we see a trend, if 80 per cent of the players have had a terrible sleep that's something we have to inform the coaches of," he said. "Because they will be more susceptible to those little injuries and you are going, 'is this really how we are going to start the tour?'" Walters says. "The flip side is, if 80 per cent of the squad are sleeping beautifully like babies, that we'd be able to go 'we can probably be a bit more aggressive'." Having played their opener against Argentina in Dublin on Friday night, which resulted in a loss against a quality Pumas outfit, the Australia tour begins against Western Force on June 28 at Optus Stadium.
Wales Online
7 hours ago
- Wales Online
Brian Barry-Murphy's famous dad issued five-word response when asked about Cardiff City job
Brian Barry-Murphy's famous dad issued five-word response when asked about Cardiff City job The Irishman is completing his first week in the job after being unveiled as Cardiff City boss Cardiff City head coach Brian Barry-Murphy (Image: Cardiff City FC ) When Brian Barry-Murphy sought counsel from his father, the legendary Irish sportsman Jimmy, about the Cardiff City job, the answer he received was about as convincing as you can get: "Don't think twice about it". Barry-Murphy Snr. is a sporting icon on the Emerald Isle, having helped to deliver six All-Ireland titles as a player across both Gaelic football and hurling. A remarkable seven-time All-Star—five in hurling and two in football—his influence on the game extended well beyond his playing days. In 1995, he managed Cork's hurlers to Liam MacCarthy Cup success, returning for a second spell in charge from 2011 to 2015. Join the Cardiff City breaking news and top stories WhatsApp community. His legacy was brought back into the spotlight in 2022 when Roy Keane, appearing on Monday Night Football, named Barry-Murphy Snr. as his greatest sporting hero—leaving the Sky Sports panel momentarily lost for words. "Growing up in Ireland, the GAA was a big part of my life," said Keane. "Hurling—watching Jimmy Barry-Murphy playing for Cork—you know, brilliant sportsman." So it's fair to say, he is qualified to offer his opinion when his son needs advice in the sporting arena. And his response was unequivocally in the affirmative. Article continues below "I got advice [from his father] in the sense that he just told me to take the job," Barry-Murphy said. "He said: 'don't think twice about it'. "He was speaking about the stature of this club and where it is and what an opportunity it is to put the supporters and the club on a path to something completely different and that is why have come here. "A lot of how I work and how I try to bring people on this journey is down to what I witnessed from him growing up. I thought we could get away without mentioning him, but now that we have there was always an expectation based on my father's exploits, there was always an expectation in our household that we had to win and he had to win and had to be winning trophies. "That kind of stuff you become aware of it from a very young age so I have lived with that my whole life and get out of the spotlight of that." That winning mentality of which Barry-Murphy speaks has been sorely lacking in the Welsh capital for some years now. Indeed it's been a steady slide downwards since the relegation from the Premier League and the club's board hope that the Irishman's appointment signifies a meaningful directional shift in more ways than one. During the head coach's first press conference this week, he outlined with a real clarity how he wants to play and seemed extraordinarily confident that he would be able to deliver it. Admirable, but of course he will have to walk the walk after talking the talk. He does, however, have excellent schooling under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, where he spent three years as the head academy coach. Going there from Rochdale, where he was lauded for his style of play, but ultimately saw them relegated out of League One, taught him how to turn his philosophy into winning football – which Cardiff fans will hope to see at Cardiff City Stadium over the course of his three-year contract and beyond. "When you go somewhere like Man City you see how to turn that possession-based football into effective football where you have to serve the ball to a certain calibre of footballer who wanted it quicker," he said. "I always knew what I wanted to do, I didn't always know how to do it and that is what I got from Guardiola in terms of that training programme where you keep that ball for long periods, but for what reason? The longer you keep that ball the less effective you are at arriving at the last line of the opponents effectively. "We have the calibre of player here who can attack quickly and if you link it back to a Cole Palmer or an Oscar Bobb, if you spend loads of time keeping the ball at the back with those players by the time if comes to the last line, the opponents are really well structured and organised and it becomes quite a sterile, negative experience. "The way I have arrived as a coach and the way I want to see my teams play is to arrive much quicker and once we have arrived to finish attacks in a much more effective way. "That's something that has evolved over time and leaves me where I am today, it leaves me in a much more progressive way where a team can be more aggressive and it gives the supporters something that I know works and I know how it works based on where I have been and hopefully it will invigorate the Cardiff supporters. "It allows you to win. You can dodge that question as much as you want but really We are here to win and win often enough to achieve the objectives that we want." Barry-Murphy's most recent job was at Leicester City, an experience he says he "got a lot out of" even if Ruud van Nistelrooy's side did suffer Premier League relegation. Sign up to our daily Cardiff City newsletter here. But it was his first step out into elite, senior football after leaving Man City — he also cites now-Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca as a huge help to him there — and now this will be his first head coach job since departing Rochdale in 2022. There is a risk, of course, but all appointments at this level, where these sorts of clubs find themselves, have risks attached. Some will take convincing, but Barry-Murphy wouldn't have it any other way. When asked if he felt he had something to prove as a head coach of a club the size of Cardiff, he replied: "That is the way you want it. "If you were in the background and not being judged and nobody had an opinion on you, that is fine for some people but not for me. I am fine about whatever opinion people have of me. Article continues below "My dedication is to the club and to the players so that they can train every day to win on a Saturday. I am fine about being judged on that. When I was a younger coach or manager I was quite protective about being judged on the result based on trying to justify what we do, nowadays it is fine because I have that experience: win, lose or draw you can say whatever you want, it is fine because I will have done everything I can during the week to give us the best chance to win."
