Cardiff are known to admire former Newport County manager and current Wales assistant James Rowberry, who previously worked under Neil Warnock, Neil Harris and Mick McCarthy during a lengthy coaching association with the Bluebirds.
It is thought the highly regarded 39-year-old was approached by Cardiff about returning in a coaching capacity over the summer before remaining in his role as head of elite coaching with the Football Association of Wales. Appointed to Craig Bellamy’s backroom staff only last month, it remains to be seen whether he wants to walk away from the international stage for a second crack at club management should the Bluebirds call.
Former Leeds number two Cameron Toshack is another who has had previous contact with the club, the son of club legend John and a former player himself having been the subject of interest in roles at second-tier clubs.
There have also been previous admiring glances at Freyr Alexandersson, manager of Cardiff’s Belgian ‘sister club’ KV Kortrijk.
The 41-year-old from Iceland was reported earlier this year to have had previous discussions with Cardiff’s management and had ambitions of working in British football, adding that he “would love to coach Cardiff”.
A former manager of the women’s national side in Iceland, as well as assistant with the men’s team, Alexandersson led Lyngby Boldklub to the top-flight and survival in Denmark, before saving Kortrijk from relegation having arrived with just 10 points on the board from the opening 20 games.
Cardiff owner Vincent Tan remains a significant shareholder at Kortrijk with several players having been loaned from south Wales to the Belgian team.
Closer to home, boyhood Bluebird Nathan Jones has made no secret of his desire to lead the club he served as an apprentice.
From Blaenrhondda, Jones has twice had successful spells at Luton Town either side of difficult tenures at Stoke in the Championship and Southampton in the Premier League. He is currently at League One Charlton who have made an impressive start to the new campaign and would certainly understand the desire of the club’s fanbase for a more front-foot approach to games after frustrations with the caution showed under Bulut.
Cardiff, though, are willing to consider their options as they look to both pull away from the foot of the Championship, and try and finally find the right fit for manager.