​Head coach Brian Barry-Murphy says he has felt nothing but support from Cardiff City owner Vincent Tan as the Bluebirds prepare to return to the Championship. Cardiff have not yet bolstered their squad with fresh signings since earning promotion from League One last season, though they did secure goalkeeper Nathan Trott on a permanent basis after his impressive loan spell in 2025-26. Despite the limited transfer activity, Barry-Murphy stressed Tan’s commitment to Cardiff following a 6-0 defeat to FC Midtjylland in their opening pre-season friendly on Saturday.
Barry-Murphy spent four weeks in Malaysia with Tan and his family during the summer, an experience he described as offering valuable insight into the Cardiff owner and his ambitions for the club. “It was a privilege for me to visit Malaysia and learn a lot about the history of the country, the history of Vincent and what he and his people stand for,” the Irishman said. “It was very enlightening for me and I am very grateful to have had that opportunity.”
The manager added that he was particularly impressed by Tan’s detailed knowledge of Cardiff’s promotion-winning campaign. “His understanding of the team and what we did last season was beyond what I expected,” he said. “He doesn’t miss a trick. He’s very clear, very honest and very direct about what he enjoyed, and he seemed really energised about what we could do moving forward.”
In June, Tan converted £42 million of Cardiff’s debt into equity, a move that nearly halved the amount the club owes to its majority shareholder. Barry-Murphy, who guided Cardiff to promotion in his first season in charge, says the club’s hierarchy are always supportive when it comes to transfers. “Whenever we can explain to him (Tan), to Mehmet [Dalman, Cardiff’s chairman] and to Ken [Choo, the club’s chief executive] where we want to improve the squad and how we want to do it, and as long as it represents good value for the club, I’ve never felt anything other than support,” he explained.
When asked about plans for this transfer window, Barry-Murphy reaffirmed his commitment to building a squad capable of exciting fans while continuing last season’s progress. “We’re very hungry and have a huge appetite to give the supporters a team they’re genuinely excited to watch again and see evolve and improve,” he said. “That will involve adding to the squad, although it’s impossible to put exact timings on deals in this transfer window, perhaps even more so than in previous years. We’re looking to move every area of the team forward. It’s not one area or another, like last season.”
Despite his eagerness for new arrivals, Barry-Murphy remains optimistic about the quality already at Cardiff and believes the current players still have substantial room to grow. The Bluebirds will continue their pre-season preparations as they push toward the new campaign, aiming to strengthen in all departments while maintaining the momentum established under his leadership.