Fans of Cardiff City and Fulham might not have long to celebrate their team’s promotion to the English Premier League, as oddsmakers have the two upped squads as favorites to be relegated at the end of the 2018-2019 season.
According to Ladbrokes, Cardiff City is an 8/13 pick to get sent back to the EFL Championship league. Fulham is the third selection at 13/8. Huddersfield, which finished 16th out of 20 in the Premier League this season, is second at 6/5. Paddy Power has Cardiff City and Huddersfield with the same odds, but has Fulham and Brighton at 17/10.
The third team that was promoted for the upcoming season, that begins Aug. 10, was Wolverhampton. They are the 9/5 pick to get sent back down after the season concludes on May 19, 2019.
Cardiff City Banks on Big Signing
One addition that could keep the team up in the Premier League is midfielder-turned-striker Bobby Reid. The former Bristol City player, who jumped to their rivals, will be expected to produce like he did last year in the EFL Championship, the second highest league in the English football system, where he scored 25 goals.
The 25-year-old is not fazed by expectations, telling Wales Online that his goal was to play in the Premier League.
“I’m the type of person that wants to better myself and keep challenging myself, hence why I wanted to play in the Premier League and pit myself against the best players,” Reid said. “I had a sniff of it last season playing against Man City and Man United and thought I did pretty well. So if I can do it against them, why not against everyone else?”
If Reid can compete at the next level, he and Cardiff City, might be staying in the Premier League.
Fulham Making Transfer Splash
Not content to stand on sidelines, Fulham made a couple of moves to better its team, and improve their chances of not being relegated. The first move was to get Spanish goaltender Fabricio Agosto Ramirez. The 30-year-old will be in net for Fulham after a nearly $6 million deal.
Fabri, as Ramirez is known to his fans, said he was excited to be a part of Fulham.
“I’m delighted to be at an historic club like Fulham, the oldest club in London,” Fabri wrote on the team’s website. “I’m very happy to have the opportunity to be in the Premier League with Fulham.”
Another player the club has it sights set on is Aleksandar Mitrovic. The Newcastle striker was on loan to Fulham last season. Mitrovic scored 12 goals in 20 matches. They would like to make the move permanent, but the two sides are reportedly at odds about money.
The Serbian has had his consistency questioned. He has scored 17 goals in 72 games for Newcastle, and will have to perform more like he did for Fulham last year for the team to have a chance to stay in the Premier League and avoid relegation.