Rotherham United sell Will Vaulks for club-record fee

ROTHERHAM United today set their second club record in 48 hours as they sold midfielder Will Vaulks to Cardiff City in a deal worth up to £3.5 million.

Two days after paying their highest ever fee for a player to bring in striker Freddie Ladapo, the Millers confirmed that Wales international Vaulks has joined the Bluebirds on a three-year contract.

The Welsh Championship outfit have shelled out an initial £2.1m to take the 25-year to the City of Cardiff Stadium and there is another £1.4m in potential add-ons.

That figure is the biggest transfer sum Rotherham have ever received, beating the £1.6m they were given in 2017 for Danny Ward.

Ward also moved to Cardiff but half of the amount had to be handed over to the forward's former club, Huddersfield Town, because of a sell-on clause.

Vaulks' previous employers, Falkirk, will also benefit from a sell-on stipulation but their share is nowhere near as high as Huddersfield's 50 per cent was.

Vaulks this week returned from holiday in Barbados to pass a medical and sign for Cardiff boss Neil Warnock who was once manager of the Millers and saved them from second-tier relegation in 2016.

The midfield man, who moved to AESSEAL New York Stadium for around £400,000 in 2016 during the reign of Alan Stubbs, spent three seasons in South Yorkshire, making 137 appearances and scoring 17 goals.

He was relegated from the Championship in his first year, won promotion in his second and suffered the drop again in his final 12 months.

His work with children's hospice Bluebell Wood won him community awards and a legion of admirers while on the pitch he became known for the ferocity of his shooting, his long throw and his somersault goal celebration.

He signed a contract extension late last season but, having broken into Ryan Giggs' Welsh squad and with several Championship clubs coveting his signature, he was always going to attract bids and move on this summer.

Rotherham, whose players return for pre-season training tomorrow, yesterday paid Plymouth Argyle £500,000 for hitman Ladapo and add-ons could take the final total to around £650,000.

See this week's Advertiser for Paul Davis's farewell feature on Vaulks