Now Cardiff have appointed Malky Mackay, a former team mate of Bellamy, will the club be able to do a deal with Man City get see him return.
Bellamy is again expected to be surplus to requirements at Eastlands but Man City may be looking to offload him from the club permanently, would City be able to afford to buy him outright and be responsible for his wages? Last season Man City paid a sizeable chunk of his income.
The new City boss has not ruled anything out yet.
"Craig is a player I have kept in touch with as we played together at Norwich, so he is someone I know very well," said Mackay.
"He did well for this football club last year and we all know he is someone affected by Cardiff City - he is a local boy.
"He is someone who, in this division, is an X-factor player.
"But Craig is contracted to Manchester City so it would be wrong of me to talk too much about him."
Bluebirds chief executive Gethin Jenkins added: "When the time is right - Craig is away at the minute - then we will sit down like we did last year and have the appropriate conversation with Craig and City."