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Cardiff City boss Neil Warnock has put an end to speculation surrounding his Bluebirds' future by agreeing a new deal to stay in charge next season.

Warnock revealed the news at his pre-match Press conference on Friday morning ahead of the Bluebirds' crunch Championship clash with Fulham this weekend.

He has still to put pen to paper on the contract, but is expected to do so in the next 48 hours. Warnock is happy with assurances given by the Cardiff hierarchy about backing him with funds in the summer transfer window.

Warnock's pledge to see the job through comes as a massive boost to Cardiff fans who feared their hugely popular manager could leave in the close season. He says their staunch support since he joined the club played a part in helping him make up his mind.

Bluebirds chairman Mehmet Dalman acted swiftly to ensure Warnock stays at the helm by giving him the green light to go after the players he wants for the 2017-18 campaign.

Warnock also hinted he may even stay beyond that, meaning he could be at the Cardiff helm for another two years at least.

Warnock, 68, had previously hinted he needed financial support for new players from Vincent Tan in order to have a proper crack at getting into the Premier League next season. He didn't see the point of hanging around at his age if the Bluebirds' hierarchy did not share his dream of clinching a record-breaking eighth promotion as a manager.

He met Dalman in London on Monday to discuss his future and how Financial Fair Play rules may affect his planning.

Warnock's fears were put at ease by Dalman and the two men shook hands on the new contract.

(Image: Getty Images)

Having been given the assurances he wants, Warnock said: "It’s never been in question. I've only spoken to Mehmet about certain things that he and Vincent Tan were trying to agree and I’m pleased to say I’ve agreed everything.

"We’ve not put pen to paper but we’ve agreed an extension for next season. We’re singing from the same song sheet.

"We're desperate to do well, we each want the same thing. There are no guarantees - just look at Claudio Ranieri. But my objective is to be as popular here in 12 months' time as I am at the moment.

"The contract was never in doubt, I just didn't want to come for the wrong reasons. Vincent and Mehmet have been nothing but supportive from the start.

"We've had to show them what we can do. It’s a trust thing between manager and owner, we each want the same thing. As I say nothing is guaranteed, but with their support we can give it a good try.

"We’ll be up against a lot of clubs with a lot of money. But it’s easy for a manager to commit to a club when the fans want you.

"If the scenario was different, who knows? But if the fans want me it'll mean I'm doing a good job. We’ll just have a go next season and see where we are after that."

Talking up Dalman and the Cardiff hierarchy, Warnock went on: "They couldn’t have done it any quicker. I expected it to be done in the next three or four weeks, but there was not a lot to sort out.

(Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency)

"We wanted to stay, they wanted us to stay, we wanted an opportunity to do well next season, they’ve given us that.

"We want to put the club in a position next season to have a go. We’ll be up against big budgets (from other clubs) so we’ll have to be good at what we do to give us a chance.

"The players have been on board and super for me. I don’t think they realised how well they could perform as a unit and if we can bring a bit more quality in that squad everyone can benefit."

Addressing the need for the club to stay within Financial Fair Play rules, Warnock said: "I've got to do my bit as well. I have to try and help the club with the wage structure at the end of the season.

"I will have to do some juggling, but we feel it’s possible. It’s not unreasonable or unrealistic to put the club in a position to have a go. Nobody knows what’s around the corner but we’ve shown we can compete with anybody and that’s what we have to do next year."