BREAKING: Cardiff City striker becomes Cobblers' first January addition

Cobblers have made their first addition of the January transfer window with young striker Chanka Zimba joining on loan from Cardiff City for the rest of the season.

The 20-year-old, a 6ft 1in forward, has top scored for Cardiff U23s, who lead the Professional Development League by 11 points, with nine goals this season and made his Championship debut for the Bluebirds in November.

The Zambian-born striker joined City from Blackburn Rovers, where he scored 13 times in 31 games for the Ewood Park club's development sides in the previous two seasons.

Zimba, who will wear shirt number 18 at Sixfields, signed a new three-year deal at Cardiff in August, with then-U23s manager Steve Morison saying: "I'm really pleased for him. He's somebody that we recruited into the academy around 12 months ago. Since the end of the last season he's come back flying, and the gaffer (Mick McCarthy at the time) has really liked from what he's seen of him.

"It's pleasing to see that another player who's joined during mine and Tom Ramasut's time here has managed to make an impact. He's done well in pre-season, and now it's his chance to kick on and make a name for himself, which is something that we all want to see. Hopefully he does enough over the coming season to be another academy player who's earned a first-team debut."

Morison, who worked alongside Cobblers manager Jon Brady in Northampton's academy, has since been promoted to first-team boss at Cardiff and included Zimba in a couple of his squads.

The move is subject to international clearance.