Birmingham looking at £37,000-per-week “warrior” with League One experience

Despite dropping to the third division last season, Birmingham City appear to have no intention of limiting themselves to the League One market, as they want to sign a player with plenty of European experience.

Relegation won’t stop Blues spending spree

The Blues, seemingly unaffected by their new division, have been busy in the transfer market this summer, making a number of high-profile moves.

A new face in goal was certainly high on the list of priorities for the St Andrews hierarchy, with Hull City shot stopper Ryan Allsop and Northern Ireland goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell both going to the Midlands in the early part of the summer.

The Blues have also been connected with a number of outfield players who could join St Andrews during the transfer window. Sparta Rotterdam centre-back Mike Eerdhuijzen has been linked with a move, as has Brighton target Marc Leonard.

With Birmingham clearly far from finished in the transfer window, the Blues are now connected with a deal for another player with plenty of top-level experience.

Birmingham set to go for Goldson this summer

The Scottish Sun first reported that Birmingham are interested in signing Rangers defender Connor Goldson this summer. The 31-year-old central defender grew up in neighboring Wolverhampton and may be persuaded to return to the Midlands during the transfer season.

Goldson joined Ibrox for £3 million from Brighton & Hove Albion in 2018. Since arriving in Glasgow, the defender has made 309 appearances for Rangers, including every game of the club’s championship-winning season in 2021.

During this winning campaign, Goldson drew praise from then Rangers manager Steven Gerrard, who stated of the defender: “Connor has been an absolute mountain for this team, a warrior.”

“He has had a lot of stick over the years, wrongly in my opinion. But he has continued to improve and strive to improve from a personal point of view.”

Goldson, who signed during Gerrard’s spell, has struggled for form since the Englishman’s left for Aston Villa in 2021. With current manager Philippe Clement aiming to stamp his imprint on his team this summer, it is possible that Goldson will be let go to make space for new arrivals.

A story from June even linked Goldson with a move to Gerrard’s present club, Al-Ettifaq. The Saudis were thought to be contemplating a proposal for Goldson and his Rangers teammate James Tavernier.

Despite winning league titles and playing in the Champions League, Goldson is no stranger to hard work in the English Football League. During his three seasons with Shrewsbury Town, the defender made 55 League One games, demonstrating that the 31-year-old is no stranger to the third tier.

Goldson’s stated weekly salary of £37,000 could be a stumbling factor in any transaction. Despite this, the Blues have demonstrated that they are not afraid to splash the cash, especially for a player of Goldson’s caliber.