Eli King has sealed a loan move from Cardiff City to Stevenage.

King returned to Cardiff ahead of the season following loan spells with Morecambe and Ross County last year and he looked likely to feature for Erol Bulut’s side this year, having been handed a new deal at the beginning of the summer.

However, after playing in pre-season and in the Carabao Cup clash with Bristol Rovers, Bulut believes the midfielder, 21, could use another year out on loan, with League One Stevenage, managed by former Bluebird Alex Revell, sealing his signature.

He said: “I’m really excited. This was my first day so I’ve met the staff and the players, seen the training facilities and it’s been a really good day.

“I can’t wait to carry on progressing now and this seemed like the right fit for me and where I am in my career now.

“I’ve had a few loans and I’ve really enjoyed getting game time and I thought this would be the best place for me to come and learn and keep developing. It’s almost the next stage.

“I spoke to the gaffer and the ideas that he presented to me and why I would be a good fit seemed to make sense. Ultimately that’s what it came down to.

“[Stevenage] have been watching me for a while which helps, they know about me and they’ve seen my game, seen me play first-team football.

“[The boss] spoke a lot about tactically where I would fit and how they want to play, but then he also spoke about what qualities he sees in me and how that can translate into League One appearances.

“I’ve played in the Championship and the Scottish Premiership so I’ve had a variety of experiences and hopefully that can only be a good thing.”

It will come as a disappointment to some, who believe King is ready after his succession of loans, and to the player himself, who believed he was ready to make his mark this term.

Earlier today, Bulut said: “He will go for loan, he has two or three good offers. I am thinking he needs one more year to play continuously. I want him more sharp, he is good on the ball, but I need more aggression, you have to be more aggressive against the ball.

“I hope this season he will play many games and come back much, much stronger, because we need him here.

“I spoke with him and I didn’t hide what I was expecting from him. He has been a little bit of a different opinion like that. But I didn’t see that in pre-season games. Not many games, but I didn’t see it. But I cannot wait for somebody, someday to be aggressive, you either deliver or don’t deliver. I don’t want to lose time on that.”

It comes after Bulut confirmed that he had made a decision on fellow midfielder Andy Rinomhota’s future. The 27-year-old was a fringe player last year before he was sent on loan to Rotherham United, but he is going to be part of the squad this term. Sign up to our Cardiff City newsletter here.

Rinomhota was brought to the club on a free transfer after he left Reading in 2022, with a number of clubs chasing his signature. But after featuring heavily in his first season he appeared to fall down the pecking order.

Some wondered whether Rinomhota would be deemed surplus to requirements this year, however following the departure of Ebou Adams and loan exits of promising academy graduates Joel Colwill (Cheltenham Town) and King (Stevenage), Bulut believes the Zimbabwe international can add value this term.