Birmingham City’s Birmingham City has been in disarray since their depressing relegation to League One on the last day of the previous campaign.
The US owners of the Blues never intended to drop to the third division, but Tom Wagner and his team will undoubtedly have gained a lot of experience over the previous 12 months.
The ambitious goals at St. Andrew’s are still in place despite the relegation, and the supporters will believe that the team can advance significantly with the owners leading the way.
Birmingham City targeting promotion next season
With Tony Mowbray sadly unable to continue in his role of manager due to illness, the club were on the lookout for a new boss this summer, and the appointment of Chris Davies was announced earlier this month.
This is the ex-Leicester City assistant’s first role as the main man in the professional game, and he will be relishing the opportunity to try and take Blues up the Football League.Birmingham City’s But in order to accomplish that, he will need support from the market, and in the upcoming weeks, St. Andrew’s will be bustling as Davies works to shape the team to fit his playing philosophy.
In light of this, we examine THREE problems Birmingham is facing in advance of the deadline in late August.
Jordan James faces uncertain future
In an ideal world, Blues would be building around Jordan James in the years to come.
He is an academy graduate, he is a quality player, and he has the potential to improve. In what has been a disappointing few years on the pitch, he has been a standout, bringing energy and drive to the middle of the park, and he has a real ability to pop up in goal scoring positions, and the technique and composure to finish off chances that come his way.
However, relegation to League One means the club are in a difficult position when it comes to retaining the Welsh international.
Birmingham City’s First of all, relegation has a financial cost, so Blues may need to sell a few players to make ends meet and adhere to PSR regulations. This is a common practice for all clubs facing relegation.
James would then undoubtedly want to play at the greatest level possible, and since Serie A teams like Atalanta are rumored to be interested in signing him, it would be difficult to persuade the 19-year-old to stay in League One when he could join a team that will compete in the Champions League.
However, keeping the young player would be a true statement of intent from the Blues, who have big plans for the future, so it shouldn’t be completely ruled out.
Bringing in a new striker
Birmingham City’s The absence of a number nine was one of the main issues that led to Blues’ relegation, though there were other factors as well. Actually, that has been the situation for a while.
Davies will therefore try to address that in the summer, and while a lot of business is likely to happen, a striker must be the major addition for the Blues.
With recent rumors of a whopping £20 million budget, it is expected that funding will be available, and the team should be able to sign a player of League One caliber.
Birmingham City’s However, as we all know, wealth does not ensure success, so the hiring team must get things right following a challenging few windows.
Although it appears unlikely, recent rumors involving Bojan Miovski are encouraging because they indicate that Blues understand how critical it is to sign a proven goal scorer in the coming months.
Davies will undoubtedly spend a significant portion of those available funds on an attacker, so they should give that addition top priority.
Sorting Krystian Bielik future
Another influential figure who faces an uncertain future is Bielik.
Simply put, the Polish international is someone who shouldn’t be playing in League One, as he is a quality operator, whether that’s in central defence or in a defensive midfield role.
