Birmingham City’s potential January transfers are revealed by Wayne Rooney’s transfer dealings

Wayne Rooney has already discussed the January transfer window with the powerbrokers of Birmingham City.

Since Rooney took over as manager of the Blues last month to replace John Eustace, the team has lost four of their last five games. The Blues’ first matchback following the international break against Sheffield Wednesday is already shaping up to be a must-win.

Rooney will have to make due with the players he has available for the nine games left before the transfer window opens. Although Rooney’s performance against Ipswich Town showed some encouraging signs, his four other games have raised concerns about the team’s fit for his style of play.

Financial Fair Play rules prevent the Blues from simply blowing their January budget. When he introduced Rooney as the new manager of the Blues on October 12, Chief Executive Garry Cook acknowledged as much.

Speaking about January last week, Rooney hinted that he is already keeping an eye on possible targets. “Clearly, there is a lot of work to be done,” he remarked. I would like to bring in a few players. Thus, we need to work out how to accomplish that.

It’s clear that’s a work in progress. To ensure that we are in the best possible position come January, we are having this conversation.

You can make an educated guess based on some of the players DC United signed during his 15-month stay in the nation’s capital. Christian Benteke, a former forward for Aston Villa and Liverpool, joined Rooney at DC United in 2022 as the MLS team’s big addition. Mateusz Klich, a Polish international, joined them from Leeds United in January.

Rooney signed Ravel Morrison to contracts at Derby and Washington, D.C. Morrison had a great season on loan at Blues in 2012–2013. Undoubtedly, the legendary player from Manchester United and England also had a hand in Lewis O’Brien’s loan move from Nottingham Forest to DC.

In his tenure in the Pride Park dugout, he did not pay any transfer fees. Six loan players and five free agent signings were permitted for Rooney over the course of three transfer window. Among the loanees were former Blues defender Teden Mengi, Patrick Roberts, and Lee Gregory; among the permanent deals were Phil Jagielka, Richard Stearman, and Ryan Allsop, who is currently a Hull City player.

Although Rooney is willing to give young players a chance, it appears from his transfer business that he prefers more seasoned players. The Blues will need whoever they sign in January to start playing right away.