Birmingham City sold Siriki Dembele to Championship side Oxford United at the end of the summer transfer window.
Barry Fry was ‘very upset’ that his former charge, Siriki Dembele, did not last long at Birmingham City.
Fry approached Dembele last summer after the Blues bought him from Premier League side Bournemouth. Fry found the Ivorian winger in 2018 while he was playing for Grimsby Town, and he rose to prominence at Peterborough United.
Dembele flourished at St Andrew’s, as Fry expected, before losing his form in the second half of last season when the Blues were relegated to League One. Despite being given a chance by new Blues boss Chris Davies, Dembele had no way back and was sold to Oxford United at the end of the summer transfer window.
Former Blues manager Fry, who is still director of football at Peterborough, said: “I was very disappointed because I thought it was a fantastic signing.” I believed he’d be a fan favourite because of his runs, but the people I still contact with at Blues say he didn’t work hard enough off the ball.
“It’s a pity that it didn’t work out but things are like that, they got their money and more back by selling him to Oxford, so it’s another good bit of business.”
Dembele has already forced his way into Oxford’s starting lineup, assisting Ruben Rodrigues’ goal in the 2-1 loss to Bristol City last time out.
