Birmingham City are considering an audacious striker move, while Sunderland and Blackburn Rovers are competing for a Blues midfielder.
Birmingham’s transfer window is getting underway as new manager Chris Davies has had time to settle in and make critical decisions.
Following the exits of Scott Hogan and Jay Stansfield, the Blues have made it a priority to sign a replacement centre-forward. Sparta Rotterdam’s 6ft 3in forward, Tobias Lauritsen, has sparked interest, according to Fussballeuropa and Birmingham Live.
The 26-year-old has piqued the interest of several European clubs after scoring a dozen goals in the Eredivisie for the second consecutive season. Lauritsen, a Norwegian who has yet to play for his national team, with 28 goals and 14 assists in 73 Sparta Rotterdam games.
Trabzonspor of Turkey and Hellas Verona of Serie A are also said to be interested in Lauritsen, providing the Blues with tough competition. Trabzonspor will compete in the Europa League next season, while Hellas hopes to finish in the top half of the Italian league.
The striker is estimated to cost roughly €5 million (£4.2 million). If the Blues spend that much, they would smash Sunderland’s League One transfer record of £4 million to recruit Will Grigg from Wigan Athletic.
Sunderland and Blackburn eye Birmingham swoop
In other transfer news, Sunderland and Blackburn Rovers are expressing interest in Birmingham midfielder Paik Seung-ho. According to a rumor on journalist Alan Nixon’s Patreon page, Blackburn are interested in signing Paik this summer as former Blues manager John Eustace looks to improve the midfield.
Sunderland has been planning to sign the South Korean player for months, according to Football Insider. Paik chose Birmingham over the Black Cats in January, despite their desire to cut the gap on the play-off spots. However, the decrease in League One could make the reversal appealing.
