Birmingham City must listen to fans and finalize defense signings – Opinion

In a season of turbulence for Birmingham City, both on and off the game, defender Cody Drameh has been a bright spot at St. Andrew’s.

The Leeds United loanee has been one of the Blues’ star players as they compete with a number of other teams to keep their Championship status.

Despite the difficult season, Drameh has been a regular presence at the back for Tony Mowbray’s side, with fans calling for the 22-year-old to be signed permanently if City remain in the second level.

Cody Drameh’s Birmingham City season so far

Drameh’s move to the Midlands represents his third temporary departure from Elland Road in two years, having joined the Yorkshire club from Fulham in the summer of 2020.

After five games for United, he was loaned out to Cardiff City, who were also fighting to stay in the Championship in 2022. His 22 appearances in the second half of the season helped to tighten up the backline in South Wales, with six clean sheets on the path to survival.

Last season, the ex-Fulham player’s fortunes improved during a four-month stint at Luton Town, during which he helped the Hatters return to the top flight, including playing all 120 minutes of their playoff final triumph over Coventry City.

Those last two seasons demonstrate that he has the credentials to be a consistent Championship performer, and huge things were expected when he signed a season-long loan deal with St Andrews in the summer of 2023.

And it’s safe to say he’s lived up to those lofty expectations as a member of the Blues defence, with a string of good performances despite his team’s poor league place at the time of writing.

It’s no surprise that fans want to sign the defender to a permanent contract in the summer, with many thinking he should be voted Player of the Season at St Andrews after a strong season.

When compared to his teammates, Drameh’s quality shines through, with no other Birmingham player coming close to his 75 tackles this season, with Juninho Bacuna second on the list with 59.

Only Bacuna (42) and Krystian Bielik (46) can top his 41 blocks this season, demonstrating his critical role in defence – think what the Blues’ points total would have been without his deeds.

Drameh also leads his club in possession, with 41 goalscoring opportunities created this season, one shy of highly regarded playmaker Jordan James, and his three assists are only surpassed by Bacuna (6) and Koji Miyoshi (4).

If only City had someone to finish the opportunities – no player has scored in double figures this season, with Fulham loanee Jay Stansfield on nine, so it is clear where the Midlands club’s problem lies.

Cody Drameh’s Leeds United contract details

The good news for City fans is that they have first refusal on Drameh this summer, as his contract at Elland Road expires at the end of June.

The loan agreement published in 2023 included an option for Birmingham to make the signing permanent if they so desired, implying that the defender can be theirs as long as Drameh agrees to a contract.

It appears to be a no-brainer for them to make the required actions to secure Drameh’s long-term contract at St. Andrew’s, though the division in which they play next season may influence whether the player wants to commit his future to the club.

The first goal is Championship survival, and City is presently only one point above the relegation zone in the second division after losing 1-0 to Millwall at The Den on Saturday.

Japhet Tanganga’s header clinched the win for the Lions, who are also fighting to avoid relegation, leaving Birmingham staring uneasily over their shoulders at Huddersfield Town and Sheffield Wednesday, who are just one point below them in the bottom three.

With a game in hand against Middlesbrough on Tuesday night, followed by vital encounters with Watford and Queens Park Rangers, Drameh’s performances could be critical in accumulating enough points to maintain Championship status.

If that is accomplished, the next goal must be to keep the defender at the club for the foreseeable future; otherwise, many teams will be eager to sign him in the summer.