Birmingham City will be aiming to return to Championship football at the first try after being demoted from the second division last season, but they will likely do it without Emmanuel Longelo, as Barnsley look set to reach a deal.
Longelo struggled to make an impression during a dismal season for the Blues in 2023-24.
The 23-year-old made no appearances after January, and Blues fans will be dissatisfied after signing for a fee from West Ham United in January 2023 following an initial loan stay.
Longelo, who was left out of Birmingham’s pre-season squad for the tour of Austria, is expected to be sold, with a transfer to Oakwell on the cards.
According to Sky Sports, Barnsley, the Blues’ League One promotion opponents, have accepted a proposal for the left-back, and he would have fallen further down the pecking order with the arrival of Hearts wing-back Alex Cochrane.
Barnsley appears to have struck gold with this signing, as the full-back has made several appearances in the league above during his two years with Birmingham.
Given his young age, ex-West Ham player Longelo could command a large sum in the future, which fits perfectly with the modern transfer strategy of purchasing low and selling high for profit.
Longelo hopes that this marks the beginning of a new chapter in his career. With last season’s troubles behind him, he might cement his dominance in the third tier for Barnsley, who made the play-offs last season.
Birmingham City should look to recoup £400,000 Emmanuel Longelo fee from Barnsley
With Sky Sports merely reporting that a fee has been agreed, it is unclear how much the Tykes are paying for Longelo.
And Birmingham City fan analyst Mike Gibbs believes that recouping the money paid to West Ham a year and a half ago is a fair transaction for all parties, and that Longelo has the potential to succeed in South Yorkshire.
“I think it would be great if we could recoup what we paid for him, which I think was in the region of £300,000 to £400,000,” Mike told Football League World.
“It’s a good move for him. He hasn’t had a huge amount of time with the Blues on the pitch and when he has, he hasn’t played particularly well.
“He will do well there if he is played in the right position, playing more as a left wing-back or a left-winger rather than at full-back.
“At the same time, it would have been good to see Longelo in this new system, but with Alex Cochrane coming in, it makes sense for him to leave”.
