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Cardiff City chairman Mehmet Dalman has opened up on the "intensely frustrating" January transfer window that saw the Bluebirds miss out on key targets, yet still leaves them with a real fighting chance of avoiding relegation.

Dalman and the Bluebirds hierarchy worked incessantly to try to land new players to bolster Neil Warnock's Premier League team.

They thought they had some deals over the line, only to be left disappointed for one reason or another.

The Emiliano Sala tragedy defined Cardiff's transfer window, their £15million record signing being in the private plane that disappeared in the English Channel.

Other strikers Cardiff then targeted didn't want to come for superstitious reasons, while other players still were reluctant to commit because they felt without Sala's goals the Bluebirds might be relegated.

But with Oumar Niasse and Leandro Bacuna on board, the fans fully behind them and the incredible team spirit Warnock has fostered, Dalman is confident Cardiff will take this battle right to the wire.

The 2-0 win over Bournemouth on a highly emotional Cardiff City Stadium evening has given renewed belief after a harrowing few days and victory at Southampton this weekend would lift the Bluebirds out of the bottom three.

It was Dalman and chief executive Ken Choo who burned the midnight oil to try to land Warnock's targets.

Reflecting upon what happened, Dalman says: "It just went to pot. I read Neil's comments ahead of the Bournemouth match about it being a hugely frustrating window and that's how I would describe it too. Intensely frustrating.

"We had so many just about over the line, yet for one reason or another weren't able to do it.

"We had targets and we went after them aggressively. Vincent (Tan) was magnificent in supporting us in terms of budget. In fact, at times he over-ruled us by wanting to go after even bigger names and financial packages. If anything, it was us trying to rein him in a little.

(Image: Gareth Everett/Huw Evans Agency)

"So where does this leave us? With a battle on our hands, we accept that, but there's no reason why we cannot get out of this if we produce the type of performances seen at Arsenal and against Bournemouth.

"I have belief in this team, belief in Neil and his coaches Kevin Blackwell and Ronnie Jepson. And let's remember, we have signed two in Niasse and Bacuna, newcomers who can make their own mark in different ways."

The big January move, of course, was for Sala.

Dalman reflects: "We put real effort into that one, it went on for weeks and weeks. These were big numbers for us, Cardiff City don't spend that sort of money on players normally.

(Image: Gareth Everett/Huw Evans Agency)

"Neil and Ken worked really hard on it. But peoples' attitudes changed towards us after the tragedy. Some felt superstitious and didn't want to step into Sala's shoes. Others were concerned we might be relegated and chose not to come in the end.

"The club itself went into a state of shock. Because I'm not based in Cardiff, perhaps I didn't appreciate it as much as I should have done as chairman. I can see my manager, the executive, other members of staff were badly affected.

"It took five to six days to even start getting over what happened and the whole while the clock ticked towards January 31 and the closure of the window.

"That said, we did try for other strikers. It didn't stop us. But for one reason or another we weren't quite successful."

One name the Bluebirds were heavily linked with was Club Brugge's Brazilian hitman Wesley Moraes , who at 22 was seven years younger than Sala.

The Belgians initially demanded £30m for their striker, but the Bluebirds thought they had struck a deal closer to the £20m mark, which would have included bonuses based upon Moraes keeping Cardiff up.

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"It's no big secret we were in for him," reflects Dalman.

"We thought we had managed it, but Brugges' argument was a good one. 'Look, we don't have enough time to get a replacement,' they said, and I could understand that.

"As such, we couldn't get it over the line. But the thought process was the correct one. A young, hungry player who could perhaps give this club seven, eight, ten years of service.

"In the end we looked at the sums of money and Neil wondered if he was really better than Kenneth Zohore at his very best? That's the key, though, getting Zohore back to the level we know he is capable of."

(Image: BRUNO FAHY/AFP/Getty Images)

Two other targets Cardiff were on the brink of landing were Monaco defender Almany Toure and Nice midfielder Adrien Tameze, players aged 22 and 24 respectively and who fitted the profile of the younger signings Cardiff were seeking.

Dalman spent countless hours on the telephone to his counterparts at the two French clubs and also met the players in person to try to sell them the Cardiff dream.

It seemed he had succeeded in the two cases — only for the Sala tragedy to have a bearing and change mindsets somewhat.

Of Toure, he explains: "I had two to three hours with him to convince him of our project. He would have been a free transfer, this for a player valued at £10m just a year earlier.

"We were on the brink, but suddenly Eintracht Frankfurt came in and we had to compete with that. They were offering Europa League football.

"Look, as a general rule of thumb, no Bundesliga side should be able to beat a Premier League club to a player's signature and how the future is to pan out, but Toure watched us against Newcastle and part of him felt he could be playing Championship football next season.

"Neil, myself and Ken had a discussion about it and in the end felt the financial demands made the deal impractical.

"Toure could have come in to play right-back or centre-half, he's equally comfortable in either position. But Bacuna can do that too, it was important we got a defensive body in and we've done that at a reasonably modest fee."

The talks with French midfielder Tameze were also constructive and he could yet end up at Cardiff City Stadium in the summer, with Aron Gunnarsson, Harry Arter and Victor Camarasa each out of contract. It is an area of the team the Bluebirds know they have to bolster, whatever the fate of that current trio of midfield men.

The Tameze deal was on-off, but Dalman had just about rescued it again and Cardiff were ready to pay £8m for their man.

Dalman says: "We had a very nice chat with him, agreed terms, but at the end of it he said 'There's just one other person I need to talk to'."

(Image: YANN COATSALIOU/AFP/Getty Images)

That person was Patrick Vieira, the France and Arsenal legend who is these days manager of Nice.

"Patrick told him' Look, you start every game with us, you're talented, wait until the end of the season and then make a decision on your future'," continues Dalman.

"Do you know, if that were one of my players that's exactly the advice I would have given, too.

"Shortly afterwards I got a lovely email from Tameze saying 'Sorry', but also leaving the door open for us at the end of the season should we choose to embark down that route again.

"He didn't want us to think he had let us down, but I guess what happened with Tameze sums up the window for us. We worked really hard on the deal, put a huge amount of effort in and thought we had got our man, only to end up frustrated and disappointed at the last minute."

Of course, nothing could prepare Cardiff for what happened with Sala and that affected everything.

However, Dalman emphasised: "Let's remember, we do have two new players on the books. Niasse was signed up before Sala and has thus far given a really good account of himself.

"Don't underestimate him and the impact he can have here. Neil rates him really highly and we're already beginning to see why.

"Bacuna offers the kind of versatility every team needs and again Neil is delighted to have him on board.

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"For differing reasons, we didn't end up with some of the targets we were after. But I really feel we have enough quality and depth to the squad to give it a right old go until the end of the season.

"And what the Sala tragedy has demonstrated is just how united this club is — board, manager, players and most importantly the supporters.

"There is more of a togetherness here than there has been for quite some time. That is simply priceless, you can't put a figure on it. The unity will be a vital factor in our favour during the relegation fight."