Club ‘in communication’ with Birmingham City winger to discuss summer transfer strategy

Oliver Burke’s loan stay at Birmingham City has faltered in the second part of the season, and the winger faces an uncertain future in Germany when he returns to parent club Werder Bremen this summer.

Burke, who previously played for Nottingham Forest, Leipzig, West Bromwich Albion, and Sheffield United, returned to the Bundesliga in the summer of 2022 and signed a three-year contract with Bremen, but he only started one league game during that time and is now on his second loan spell away from the club, this time with Blues – the previous one was at Millwall under Gary Rowett.

Burke, who is about to turn 27, has not played in the Championship for the Blues since Wayne Rooney’s farewell match against Leeds United on New Year’s Day. Since then, he has played in the FA Cup against Hull City and Leicester City, but he has not been seen since January.

Rowett has already confirmed that Burke has a muscular injury and will be out for several weeks, implying that he may have played his final ball for the club before his loan expires and he returns to Werder, where he has another year on his contract – but talks with his representatives are scheduled, according to the club’s head of football, Clemens Fritz.

He has spoken with Burke about how his loan stint is going and his present injury, and he has stated that all parties will meet at the end of the current campaign to discuss what the future holds.

“He currently has a muscular issue and has been unable to play for some weeks. “He will probably need some time before he is fit again,” the 43-year-old told DeichStube. “We are in contact with him and his advisor and will decide together what happens next in the summer.”