Cardiff City have officially completed the signing of young defender Mark McGuinness from Arsenal. The 20-year-old has inked a three-year deal with the Bluebirds that will keep him at the club till the summer of 2024. Arsenal have reportedly not taken a transfer fee from Cardiff for McGuinness but a sell-on fee has been inserted into the deal.
The deal brings an end to a decade long stay at the Emirates Stadium for McGuinness, who joined the club as a ten-year-old. Primarily a centre-back by trade, McGuinness has been capped by the Republic of Ireland at youth level. Cardiff are currently managed by former Republic boss Mick McCarthy.
McGuinness struggled to break into the Arsenal first team and spent last season on loan at third tier Ipswich Town. He made 24 league appearances for them- 23 as a starter and all of them at centre-back, and scored one goal for Town- in their 1-0 away win at Burton Albion.
McGuinness thus becomes Ipswich’s second signing of the summer transfer window after James Collins. Cardiff finished 8th in the Championship last season with 68 points from 46 games, thus missing out on the playoffs. In the previous season, they made the playoffs but had lost in the semifinal to Fulham.
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