Jordan James Clarity And Chris Davies Need As Birmingham City Start Transfer Window

Birmingham City have a lot to do in the summer transfer window after being relegated to League One for the first time in three decades.

The transfer market opens on Friday, and Birmingham City may officially add players to Chris Davies’ side for the next League One season.

The Blues have yet to make an addition, owing largely to the fact that they were without a manager until a week ago, but that process can now be expedited. A few players have been associated with the club, and some of those already on the books have been called into question.

Jordan James appears to have a good grasp of the situation. The eight-goal midfielder drew interest in January, and Blues will battle to keep him this summer, with Atalanta ready to test the waters again.

After forcing his way into Wales’ starting lineup, James, 19, is unlikely to spend a season in League One. An Adam Wharton-esque number might be pushing it, but there’s no reason Blues can’t get a good price for James.

Ethan Laird, Paik Seung-ho, Koji Miyoshi, and Juninho Bacuna must also decide if they can handle a season in League One. While there is no doubt that Blues have players capable of excelling in the Championship, it would be encouraging to see some accept responsibility for relegation and commit to helping the team get out of League One.

The same goes for Krystian Bielik, who met with Davies on his first day at the helm. Bielik is one of the club’s most influential players, and his retention next season would be a significant boost.

Who’s doing the recruitment?

Craig Gardner, technical director, is working with academy technical director Mike Rigg and incoming manager Davies to identify fresh players. Garry Cook, chief executive, has tasked them with ‘building a Championship squad for League One’.

In some situations, Blues players may earn Championship wages. The majority of next season’s opponents will be unable to compete with that.

Blues are relying more on statistics than ever before, identifying and signing players based on their numbers. As manager, Davies will have a significant influence on the players that eventually walk through the door.

In his first interview, Davies stated: “Recruitment is crucial for every team, and we have a number of vacancies to fill. We must do it calmly and clearly, and bring in the proper individuals, because anyone we bring in must fit what we’re trying to develop here, both on and off the pitch. There are some skilled people here currently working hard on that, and it will be a major focus in the next weeks to get things underway.”

The first name associated with the Blues this summer was Sheffield Wednesday midfielder George Byers. According to The Star, the Blues are one of several League One clubs interested in Byers, who is nearing the end of his contract with Hillsborough.

BirminghamLive believes that the Blues are one of the clubs interested in Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Marc Leonard. Leonard is drawing transfer attention following a spectacular League One season with Northampton Town, where he scored five goals and assisted six times. The 22-year-old has been on loan with the Cobblers from Premier League Brighton for the past two seasons and might go permanently now that his contract is up in the next year.

The Blues are looking for long-term footballers this summer, and Leonard was almost always present in League One last season. He started all 46 games for 14th-placed Northampton, logging 4,130 of a possible 4,140 minutes.

It is said that a fee of £300,000 could be sufficient to sign Leonard, but the Blues are not alone in their appreciation. Championship clubs Sheffield United and Oxford United, as well as Blues League One rivals Wrexham, have all been connected with Leonard.

The Blues have also been linked with Burnley’s 24-year-old playmaker Scott Twine, but he has other options in the Championship, including a loan spell with Bristol City last season.