Ready for the island: Hertha BSC push ahead with squad reduction and loan striker Wilfried Kanga to Championship club Cardiff City
When Hertha BSC and Cardiff City faced each other five days ago in a test match in St. Johann/Tyrol (1:1), the Welsh side, who equalized late after a corner, did not stand out with much punch. Now last year’s English Championship runners-up, who have already strengthened their defense with the addition of former England international Calum Chambers (Aston Villa) and left winger Chris Willock (Queens Park Rangers), hope to have found the solution for more power in the opponent’s penalty area.
Wilfried Kanga, who was not in the Austria camp with Hertha and therefore did not play against Cardiff, is moving to the island on loan. “Willy performed well in Belgium last season and we agreed with him early on that we wanted to find a good solution for him and for us for the new season. We have now found this together and we wish him every success in Cardiff,” explained Hertha sporting director Benjamin Weber in a statement from the club.
Ivorian wants to assert himself in Wales
The hope of being able to sell the striker at an adequate price after a good second half of the season at Standard Liège (12 goals/3 assists in 37 competitive games) has not been fulfilled in recent weeks. The flickering interest from Belgium, France and the North American Major League Soccer did not result in a concrete and attractive offer for all sides.
Now the Ivorian international, who Hertha signed from Young Boys Bern for just under five million euros in the summer of 2022, wants to assert himself in the Championship. He never managed that in Berlin. His record at Hertha: two goals in 23 Bundesliga appearances. Now the 26-year-old Franco-Ivorian, who has a contract with Hertha until 2026, is making a fresh start in Cardiff.