Tobias Lauritsen’s move status as Birmingham City challenge League One record

Birmingham City have shown interest in Sparta Rotterdam centre-forward Tobias Lauritsen.

Birmingham City is one among the clubs interested in Norwegian centre-forward Tobias Lauritsen.

Lauritsen is in high demand this summer following a successful goal-scoring season for Dutch club Sparta Rotterdam, and Fussballeuropa reports that the Blues are interested. Last season, the 26-year-old scored 13 goals and assisted nine times in 32 Eredivisie games for Rotterdam, adding to his previous season’s total of 13 goals and five assists in 38 games.

He only went to the Netherlands from Odd two years ago, following a few goal-filled years in Norwegian football. Lauritsen has yet to make the Norwegian national team, despite the fact that Erling Haaland stands in his way.

With a year remaining on his Rotterdam deal, Lauritsen could be on the move this summer, and there will be a race to sign him. It is worth noting that Rotterdam has the option to extend his contract by one year, giving them a stronger negotiation position.

BirminghamLive knows that Lauritsen is on the Blues’ radar, although there are numerous clubs in the running, some of which can provide European football. Trabzonspor, who finished third in the Super Lig and will compete in the Europa League next season, are reportedly interested in signing Lauritsen. Hellas Verona reportedly coveted Lauritsen during the January transfer window.

The Blues will face a difficult task in convincing Lauritsen to spend a season in English football’s third tier. The team is ambitious, and manager Chris Davies says he wants players for the next two or three seasons, not only to bring the club out of League One.

“There’s a lot of work going on identifying targets and assessing current players that we have based on observation and the data that we get provided,” Davies told me. “There’s a lot of work going on, and it’s vital to me that I handle it calmly.

“We’re being proactive and doing business to bring players in to help us, but we also need to understand that it will take time to create the squad, which will hopefully last two or three seasons. There’s a lot of work going on, and a lot of good individuals here working hard behind the scenes, but we’ll get there and construct a really solid squad step by step.”

There is a likelihood that the Blues will smash the League One transfer record, which is now £4 million. Sunderland paid Wigan Athletic that much in 2019 to secure the services of Birmingham striker Will Grigg.

Rotterdam reportedly paid £600,000 to sign Lauritsen from Odd in 2022, and there have been reports that they could demand up to ten times that amount to leave with him this year. Transfermarkt values Lauritsen at €5 million (£4.2 million).

Rotterdam isn’t exactly deterring interest in Lauritsen either. According to their technical director, Gerard Nijkamp, “We will not sell him for less than five million euros, but the market determines the exact amount.”

Given Lauritsen’s recent scoring record, ability to create for his teammates, and physical profile – a 6ft 4in centre-forward with good mobility – it’s not surprising that he has so many suitors. The Blues have offered veteran striker Lukas Jutkiewicz a new deal, but last season’s top scorer Jay Stansfield has returned to his parent club Fulham, while Scott Hogan has been released, leaving the club with striking positions open.