Cardiff City’s Malaysian owner Vincent Tan says the club could spend up to STG25 million ($A37 million) on new players after securing promotion to the English Premier League.
The Welsh club will return to the English top flight for the first time in 51 years after a 0-0 draw at home to Charlton Athletic on Tuesday guaranteed promotion from the second-tier Championship.
Financial difficulties in recent years have left the club with an overall recorded debt of STG83.1 million, but Tan says they will find the money to fund a competitive assault on the Premier League.
“We need to strategise well and we’d like to spend some money – maybe 20 to 25 million (pounds),” said Tan.
“Others have spent a big amount of money and don’t do well, so we will try to spend smartly.”
Tan first invested in Cardiff with a group of Malaysian investors in 2010 but sparked anger at the start of the current season by forcing the club to change their traditional colours from blue to red.
Cardiff manager Malky Mackay said he was excited about the prospect of rubbing shoulders with the biggest names in the English game, as the Bluebirds prepare for encounters with teams such as Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal.
“It’s a huge challenge,” said the Scot. “We are going into one of the best leagues in the world. We are going to plan properly – that has started already and we will now put that in action.”
Cardiff will join local rivals Swansea City in the Premier League next season, meaning there will be two Welsh clubs in the English top flight for the first time in the competition’s 125-year history.
Swansea have now spent two seasons in the top division, establishing themselves as a respected Premier League outfit and securing a first major honour in February with victory in the League Cup.
Captain Mark Hudson said he was already excited by the prospect of testing himself against Michael Laudrup’s side.
“It is going to be a big test for us next year and I’m sure the fans will look forward to it. The derby is going to be a good one, isn’t it?” he said.
