Cardiff City striker Yousef Salech says that he is “really happy” at the club despite persistent speculation linking him with a move away.

The 23-year-old striker was Cardiff’s shining light in the second half of last season, scoring nine goals since joining from Swedish Allsvenskan club IK Sirius in January.

Despite Salech’s goals, Cardiff were relegated to League One, and much of the transfer speculation around the Danish forward has centred on a move back to the Championship.

Championship clubs – most notably Middlesbrough – are reportedly interested in signing the 6ft 5in centre-forward, who still has four years left on his contract.

With new head coach, Brian Barry-Murphy, in charge of Cardiff, Salech believes the Welsh club can win promotion from League One.

“I’m really happy at Cardiff. It obviously wasn’t long ago I joined, and I’ve enjoyed every part of it so far,” he said.

“I don’t speak to any clubs personally but, if the club does or an agent does, that’s their job. I’m just coming into training every day and trying to improve and do my best for the team.

“Obviously as a striker you want to score goals and help the team win games. Especially now that we went down a division. Obviously the goal for the whole club is to get back up and to do it the best way possible.”

11 senior players have left Cardiff prior to the start of the season, the most notable of which are experienced midfielders Aaron Ramsey and Joe Ralls. The club are yet to confirm their first signing of the summer.

They are the last club in the English Football League to add to their squad.

Despite the transfer impasse, Cardiff have managed to hold on to a number of senior players, including strikers Salech and Callum Robinson.

Barry-Murphy has been assured there is no financial need to make further sales.

“I think the support and clarity from the ownership of Vincent [Tan] has been really clear,” he said prior to the first game of the season against Peterborough.

“The players that leave the club will be on our terms. Players that we accept leave for reasons that benefit us and anybody who we want to keep stays here.

“Yousef, as an example, has been exceptional in pre-season. From the first week of pre-season he’s shown really high level of performance and we believe there’s a lot of things that he can improve to take him to a different level.”

Cardiff have yet to make a signing this summer but are reportedly keen on signing Copenhagen goalkeeper Nathan Trott on loan.

Asked about that potential transfer, Barry-Murphy added: “I think until everything is absolutely done I think it’s very dangerous to presume things have got to happen.

“But I think the line that is important is that we are absolutely looking to improve all areas of the team with real quality and hopefully there will be something in before the weekend.”

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