The Rio Cardines loan is done: Bristol City have signed the Crystal Palace defender on a season-long deal, as reported by BBC Sport on Tuesday afternoon. The 20-year-old heads to Ashton Gate as the Robins’ ninth signing of the summer and will spend the 2026-27 campaign in the Championship.
Cardines, who can play at full-back or wing-back, came through the Arsenal academy before joining Palace at under-16 level, and made his Premier League debut against his former club last season. The Trinidad and Tobago international, who has 11 senior caps, was also part of the squad that won the UEFA Conference League in May. But with Daniel Munoz, Tyrick Mitchell, Nathaniel Clyne, Borna Sosa and new arrival Takehiro Tomiyasu all competing in the full-back areas, regular senior football at Selhurst Park was always going to be hard to come by this season.
Why the Rio Cardines loan suits everyone
Robins head coach Michael Skubala said Cardines will add “quality both defensively and going forward” to his squad, per BBC Sport. For Palace, the move follows a familiar development pathway for the club’s brightest young players, with Championship interest also swirling around fellow academy graduate Jesurun Rak-Sakyi.
A full season of Championship football is the clearest next step in Cardines’ development, and Pierre Sage’s staff will be watching his minutes closely. He is due back in SE25 next summer with a point to prove — and a strong year at Bristol City would make the full-back conversation far more interesting in 2027.
