Birmingham City will have a busy summer following their terrible Championship season this year.
This season, the Blues had four managers take over the club, and they dropped from sixth place to the relegation zone, eventually being relegated to League One.
With Tony Mowbray’s health in doubt, Birmingham will face a major rebuild in the summer. It is critical that they get their transfer business right, as a lengthy stay in the third tier might be detrimental.
In order to have a dream start to the summer, the Blues should focus on getting one key man in, while getting rid of one high-paid, underperforming player.
In: Alfie May
Signing a striker to propel Birmingham back into the second tier will have to be a priority this summer, especially with the Blues losing some key strikers next month.
Jay Stansfield will return to Fulham at the end of the season after scoring 13 goals for the Blues. Scott Hogan’s contract also expires in the summer, leaving the team relatively weak up front.
Signing a proven striker in League One will be critical to the Blues’ chances of returning to the Championship. Alfie May of Charlton Athletic, who had a tremendous season at the Valley recently, would be an ideal signing.
The 30-year-old striker led the League One scoring statistics last season, with 23 goals for Charlton. Despite finishing 16th, the Addicks are only nine points from relegation. Things are improving for Charlton, but Birmingham appear to be a better bet for a top-two finish next season.
Despite being on the wrong side of 30, May would be an excellent signing. Birmingham will want to spend big to move out of the division, and May would provide a much-needed short-term boost. An protracted stay in League One would be disastrous for Birmingham’s finances, and the club will hope that May can propel them back to the Championship before too long.
He is an ambitious aim, but this is a fantastic scenario.
Out: Tyler Roberts
The Blues require a striker who can score goals, and Tyler Roberts has not provided that since joining the team. Roberts joined Birmingham from Leeds last summer, leaving the Blues with a player with extensive Premier League and international experience.
However, the Welshman struggled with both fitness and performance throughout a terrible season. As the Blues were relegated to League One, Roberts played only one match before Christmas, having missed the first half of the season due to injury.
When Roberts returned at the beginning of the new year, he failed to add goals and assists despite playing in a variety of front-three roles. Roberts did not score and only assisted once in 17 appearances, eight of which were starts.
Capology estimates Roberts’ weekly salary to be £10,000, with three years remaining on his present contract. Given how the team was ‘fighting’ for promotion when he first signed, it’s unlikely that they included a relegation provision in his contract when he joined the Blues in the summer.
Given his salaries in comparison to his value to the squad, Wales should move forward as quickly as possible. Birmingham can utilize the money they receive for him, as well as his salaries, to buy a more trustworthy player who can provide goals and assists as they strive to return to the Championship at the earliest opportunity.
