Cardiff confirm signing of £14m-rated Championship duo

Cardiff manager Neil Warnock has welcomed the club’s “healthy competition” for places after signing goalkeeper Alex Smithies from QPR.

Smithies has been recruited for an undisclosed fee believed to be around £4m, agreeing a deal that runs until 2021, subject to international clearance.

He will contest goalkeeping duties at the Premier League club with Neil Etheridge, who had an outstanding campaign when Cardiff clinched promotion to the Premier League last season.

“I wondered if he (Smithies) just has a blinder when he plays against us,” Warnock told Cardiff’s official website.

“But having watched Alex for a while, there is no doubting his pedigree. He is a lad that knows he will have to fight for his place.

“Neil Etheridge had a fabulous season in 2017-18 and improved as time went on. It’s great for us to have that healthy competition.”

Image: cardiffcityfc.co.uk

Former Huddersfield goalkeeper Smithies, 28, joined QPR in 2015, making more than 100 appearances for the London club.

Smithies, a former England youth international, featured 275 times for his home-town club Huddersfield, including helping them win promotion to the Championship in 2012.

Meanwhile, Cardiff also confirmed the signing of striker Bobby Reid from Bristol City, subject to international clearance.

The Welsh club said that Reid has signed a four-year contract for an undisclosed fee, believed to be around £10m.

Reid scored 19 goals in the Championship last season, and played a key role in Bristol City reaching the Carabao Cup semi-finals.