Cardiff's Ledley warning to Pulis

Joe Ledley has been at Cardiff City since the age of nine

Cardiff City manager Dave Jones expects Stoke City boss Tony Pulis to contact him if he wants to sign Joe Ledley.

The £5m-rated Wales international midfielder is one of Stoke's top summer targets should the Potters avoid the drop from the Premier League.

Stoke had a £6m bid rejected for the 22-year-old by Cardiff last summer and the club turned down offers in January.

Jones said: "I know Tony and I expect his first port of call to be me, that has always been the case with him."

Ledley is one of the hottest properties outside the Premier League and the current Bluebirds skipper was this week honoured by his peers and named alongside team-mate Roger Johnson in the PFA's Championship Team of the Year.

Cardiff chairman Peter Ridsdale and Jones insist every player has a price and the Welsh club are wary that Ledley has just 12 months remaining on his current deal and can leave for free when his contract expires next summer.

606: DEBATE Joe Ledley would be a massive loss for us against Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday as he is a pivotal part of our team and would be severely missed Ninian opinion

Ledley is a major injury doubt for Sunday's crunch Championship clash at Sheffield Wednesday where Jones' men need a point to secure a place in the play-offs.

But he has been linked with a fresh move to Stoke this summer while Bolton Wanderers, Fulham and West Ham United are also said to be interested.

Bluebirds boss Jones said: "We've had the speculation all season, it's just the jungle drums are beating again because it is that time of the season when the transfer window is going to open.

"But we're always going to have our players linked with moves to other clubs and it is a compliment as it must mean we're doing something right."

Ledley previously admitted to being "flattered" to be linked with a move to the Premier League but insisted a potential move would be "down to the club and not down to me."

Last season's FA Cup finalists Cardiff not only refused a £6m bid for Ledley from Stoke last summer and a January offer from an unnamed Premier League club, but Everton and Wolverhampton Wanderers also had previous approaches turned down.

Ledley, who has won 25 caps for Wales, is a major doubt for Cardiff's final game of the regular league season at Sheffield Wednesday with a torn thigh muscle.

"Joe is struggling to make that game," conceded Jones.

"He has torn some fibres in a thigh muscle which is due to playing lots of games and not having enough recovery time.

"The injury has come at a bad time for us."