According to reports from German publication Fussball Europa, Birmingham City is looking to break the current League One transfer record with a deal for Sparta Rotterdam striker Tobias Lauritsen.
The 26-year-old Norwegian is reportedly seeking a deal worth between £5 million and £6 million from the Blues, who want to return to the Championship at their first opportunity after being relegated last season.
The Midlands club, who finished 22nd in the Championship, had a miserable season that included six different managers. As a result, they plan to spend heavily this summer.
But Birmingham City seems ready to spend at a level never seen in the third tier before, thanks to funding from owner Tom Wagner and an ownership group that includes NFL legend Tom Brady. There are rumors that the team plans to spend up to £20 million this summer, and Chris Davies, the new manager, is reportedly being given as much cash as he requires to try and get promoted.
Sunderland currently holds the division transfer record after spending $3 million to acquire Will Grigg in 2019. If a deal is reached for Lauritsen, that record might nearly double in one night.
Since joining the Eredivisie team in 2022, the Norwegian has scored 28 goals in 73 games across all competitions. He has been his team’s top scorer in both seasons, including the 2022–2023 campaign where they just missed out on European qualification. Lauritsen began his professional career in his home country before moving to Rotterdam. He scored 73 goals there in total, including 32 during a five-year tenure at Eliteserien team Odd.
Despite his recent rise to prominence, the striker, who is about 6’4″, has not been given a cap by the Norway national team. In the pecking order, Lauritsen is behind players like Erling Haaland of Manchester City.
The Netherlands will be hoping to work out a deal to keep Lauritsen with Sparta this time next year, as his contract expires in the summer. Moving to St Andrew’s would be a huge win for the driven Blues, who have no trouble setting high goals this season.
