The forward scored his first Bluebirds goal against Swansea and earned the penalty which helped to sink them on derby day
Cardiff City are in talks with South Wales derby hero Ollie Tanner over signing a new contract.
The winger, 21, was signed from non-league Lewes FC a little more than a year ago for £50,000 on an initial two-year deal. WalesOnline understands the club have an option to extend that by a further year.
However, it appears the wheels are already in motion to get him tied down to better terms. Bluebirds CEO Ken Choo said: “Behind the scenes we are talking, as always, we will reach a deal with him.
“He has shown great prospect in the last couple of weeks, but there is a long-term plan and he has a long way to go. But from what we have seen so far, we are happy.”
The club put in place a two-year plan for Tanner but, as these things often do, it didn’t go according to script. He turned up relatively unfit, having come from non-league, and was put on a fitness programme for six months before being sent on loan.
But his loan spell at York City in the National League was a disaster, with the manager getting sacked and the new man in the dugout refusing to play him, much to his chagrin. To get the latest Bluebirds news sent straight to your inbox, sign up here.
Tanner returned to Cardiff this summer with the bit between his teeth, determined not to be sent out on loan again having endured such a bad experience. But the club’s initial plan was to send him out on loan this season, only this time to a higher level than the National League.
After observing the wide player in pre-season, though, manager Erol Bulut insisted on keeping him around and it has proved to be an inspired decision, with Tanner having been one of Cardiff’s most dangerous attacking weapons in the early throes of the campaign. He has also leapfrogged established players in the pecking order.
He repaid Bulut’s faith in him on derby day last Saturday when he cut inside and lashed home into the bottom corner to put the Bluebirds ahead against Swansea with his first touches of the game. Minutes later he embarked on one of his mazy runs and forced Kristian Pedersen into fouling him in the Swans’ penalty box and Aaron Ramsey did the rest from 12 yards out.
And manager Bulut has been suitably impressed by the young man who turned down a move to Tottenham Hotspur a little more than 18 months ago.
After the 3-2 win over Coventry City, a game Tanner started and in which he once again looked bright, Bulut said: “He made good things happen. I said it at the start of the season, he is one of the players who scored more goals and assists in pre-season than anybody.
“He showed he could help us. He showed against Swansea and today he worked hard and I hope he continues like this.”
Cardiff have been proactive in tying down their big assets so far this summer. The likes of Ryan Wintle, Perry Ng, Mark McGuinness, Joel Bagan, Eli King, Jak Alnwick and the Colwill brothers have all put pen to paper on longer-term deals in recent weeks.
Tanner appears to be the next cab off the rank, so to speak, and no one could argue he hasn’t earned it. It looks set to be a big season for the Englishman.