Birmingham City face a busy summer transfer window as they adjust to life in League One under new manager Chris Davies.
Blues are preparing for their first season in the third tier since 1994/1995, with plenty of change afoot both on and off the pitch, including Davies’ appointment on June 6 following Gary Rowett’s departure and Tony Mowbray’s decision to step down from his managerial position due to surgery.
Neil Etheridge, Gary Gardner, Scott Hogan, Marc Roberts, Ivan Sunjic, and John Ruddy were all permitted to leave the club after their contracts expired, while Alex Pritchard moved to Sivasspor on July 1.
Davies has already made some significant additions to his side, with Alfie May, Bailey Peacock-Farrell, Ryan Allsop, and Emil Hansson joining from Charlton Athletic, Burnley, Hull City, and Heracles, respectively – an ambitious group of signings.
City are expected to be active in the transfer market in the coming months, and Football London has just reported that they, along with two Championship clubs, are interested in loaning Tottenham Hotspur teenager Jamie Donley.
Prior to joining Birmingham, Davies was senior assistant coach at Spurs under Ange Postecoglou, so his connections to the club will undoubtedly help them in their pursuit of Donley’s contract this summer.
Jamie Donley, Birmingham City transfer latest
According to football.london, Birmingham are interested in taking the 19-year-old on loan for the season, although he will face stiff competition from a number of clubs offering second-tier play.
Tottenham are not considered to want to sell Donley, but football.According to london, Luton Town, Oxford United, and Bristol City are all keen in providing him his first taste of professional football on loan from North London.
While a move to a Championship club appears to make more sense for Donley on the surface, the opportunity to work with Davies, who was allegedly impressed by him last season after breaking into Postecoglou’s first-team, should give Blues a significant advantage in any negotiations.
The England youth international is highly regarded at Spurs and shone for their under-21 squad last season, prompting the Australian to give him four first-team games throughout the season.
According to football.london, he is expected to play with the first team in pre-season and may even be included on Tottenham’s upcoming summer tour to Japan and South Korea at the end of July, although he could leave before then.
As things stand, Birmingham should have an advantage in negotiations with Donley because Davies is a familiar face to the 19-year-old and will most likely be able to give more regular first-team minutes than their Championship competitors.
Jamie Donley would be a good fit for Chris Davies’ Birmingham City rebuild
While it is uncertain which formation Davies would play at St. Andrew’s, many believe Spurs’ regular use of a 4-2-3-1 while he was at the club last season is a good indication of what he may do.
If that’s the case, the Blues will need a fresh addition to fill the gap behind new striker Alfie May, and the 19-year-old is an ideal match, considering his preferred position as an attacking midfielder who likes to find critical passes and link the play to the attack.
Davies does not currently have such a player in his roster, with Koji Miyoshi and Keshi Anderson both capable but better suited to the wings, and Juninho Bacuna reportedly likely to join Alex Pritchard at Turkish club Sivasspor, according to BirminghamLive.
Donley may potentially serve as a backup striker, having previously played there before gradually migrating back into midfield in recent years, or as a box-to-box player in a midfield three, given his inclination to drop deep and receive the ball on the turn.
Along with Bacuna, there could be more midfield departures in the coming months, with Paik Seung-ho and Jordan James perhaps on their way out, so Blues must get their recruitment in order if they want to return to the second division at the first opportunity.
Donley, 19, would undoubtedly be a fantastic start for their midfield reinforcements, and the Blues should be in command with manager Davies if Spurs allow a loan leave shortly.
