It was inevitable that a number of clubs would come sniffing around for the midfielder, with much of the transfer interest coming from abroad, and there was a clause placed in his contract which meant he could leave if City dropped to the Championship.“Top players believe they should be involved and playing at the top level from the first day walk into a group and that is why they are top players.”There were many reports circling around Medel as the British press attempted to get a firmer grip on who he actually was and the mystique which surrounded him.“When we brought him in I was delighted and I remain delighted.“In most matches so far we’ve seen someone who has been on the ball an awful lot, a player whose pass completion is a huge percentage compared to the average.The Bluebirds subsequently sold Medel for £10m, a fee which, at the time, was blasted by some, including former City striker and WalesOnline columnist Nathan Blake, for losing £1m.While Cardiff lost many games that season, 22, in fact, it is probably no coincidence they were defeated in all four league games from which Medel was absent."He is someone who believes he should be playing at the top level which is what he is doing. He’s enjoying a new way of life and has adjusted well for somebody who has come from a completely different culture with only a sparse use of the language as well."I've no doubt that his background and pedigree will complement our midfield group in the Premier League."The late, great Peter Whittingham, a pass master himself, clearly learned an awful lot from having the Chilean alongside him week in, week out.Medel moved back to Italy last summer, swapping Besiktas for Bologna in Serie A.He moved on to become a success at Boca Juniors, deeming the move a 'dream' having been granted the opportunity to play alongside stars such as Juan Riquelme, Martin Palermo and Sebastian Battaglia, the latter he named as his idol.He finally seemed to settle down in Milan. Former Cardiff City player Andy Legg believes Gary Medel was played out of position in the Bluebirds' midfield last season. Mackay raved about him and so did the City fans.Get the latest Cardiff City news sent straight to your inbox“Gary and I train together every day. West Ham want Gary Medel for his tough-tackling midfield style Credit: PA:Press Association. English football is great.
JUNO's VIEW Seeing Cardiff and the world through the eyes of one cool cat.
He keeps the game ticking over and calms things down.”He was arguably Cardiff's best player throughout that Premier League campaign of 2013/14.
"Having had two seasons of regular football in La Liga, with 60-odd international caps to his name and three appearances at a World Cup, his experience will be an invaluable asset to our squad," Mackay added.Earlier in the day reports from Spain had suggested a bid of 13 million euros (£11m) had been accepted by the Spanish club for the Chile international.However Mackay has missed out on a number of other targets during the summer. His value to us is unbelievable.
"Alexis Sánchez of Barcelona, Arturo Vidal of Juventus and Gary Medel of Cardiff City. The signing of Medel signalled real intent by Malky Mackay and the Bluebirds board.