Birmingham City transfer briefing: Latest on pursuit of Tommy Doyle

Birmingham City’s American owners have not been shy about their ambitions, telling Mail Sport earlier this year that the club will be ‘one of the biggest stories in world football’ over the next decade.

Plans have already been in place for a new 60,000-seater stadium by 2026, while the ownership made a significant outlay on signings last season to help them bounce back at the first attempt after being relegated from the Championship.

Billionaire financier Tom Wagner has openly targeted the club achieving back-to-back promotions, after the Blues claimed the League One title last season with a record points tally.

The stated ambition should lead to a busy summer of activity at St Andrews as Birmingham prepare for life back in the second tier.  

So what will happen this summer, who will be joining manager Chris Davies’ squad and who’s on their way out? 

Our Birmingham expert TOM COLLOMOSSE answers all the big questions here.

What do Birmingham need this summer?

Boss Chris Davies is desperate to improve Blues’ attack and hopes to sign a forward to take some of the load from Jay Stansfield, as well as improving his options in wide areas. 

They look a little light in central defence and central midfield, too, but nobody at the club is panicking. 

They believe they have the ambition and budget to tempt players who would not normally consider moving to the Championship (more on that later) and are convinced they have a fighting chance of emulating Ipswich by securing successive promotions from League One to the Premier League. 

How big is their budget and is PSR a major concern?

In one word: big. Blues chief Tom Wagner has claimed that the club generate the same level of revenue as the top Championship clubs and we can expect this to be reflected in the transfer market. Mail Sport understands Birmingham to direct their financial firepower towards wages rather than fees. 

Mail Sport revealed the club are offering potential targets up to £30,000 a week – a huge outlay for a club promoted from League One and, in the post-Covid world, more than a significant number of Championship clubs can afford. In recruitment briefings, potential signings have been told that instant promotion to the top flight is the plan.

Blues also make no secret of their wish to expand their fanbase in other parts of the world. There was an Amazon Prime documentary charting their promotion season, with NFL great Tom Brady – a shareholder in the club – helping to formulate the idea. Though he is not at the training ground regularly, Brady’s influence is exerted via his personal guru Alex Guerrero, who had a substantial influence over the club’s training and preparation methods last season.

If everything goes to plan, Birmingham will be in a new stadium in five years’ time, on a site modelled on Manchester City’s Etihad Campus and involving a £2billion investment in a new Sports Quarter in the city. It is a big ‘if’ of course, but these are exciting times.

Who are they interested in?

The first through the door looks like being one to excite the fans immediately, with homegrown star Demarai Gray set to rejoin the club more than nine years after he left for Leicester. But the 28-year-old winger is only one of a number of eye-catching targets. 

Mail Sport can reveal Blues have held talks with Benfica midfielder Leandro Barreiro, who is currently on duty at the Club World Cup and played nine times in last season’s Champions League. Blues are unlikely to sign Barreiro, who wants to remain at the top level of European football, but just to be able to get in the room with the 25-year-old is impressive. 

Che Adams and Craig Dawson are two others with significant Premier League experience who have been considered, while Birmingham continue to look closely at the Japanese market, where former Celtic forward Kyogo Furuhashi is among those of interest. Davies knows the market relatively and worked with Ange Postecoglou, a J-League aficionado, at Tottenham.

Though NFL great Tom Brady plays no active role in recruitment, targets have been offered Zoom calls with him to try to persuade them to join.

A word of caution: newly-wealthy clubs attract agents with impressive client lists who are keen to do deals. Having good relations with these companies is crucial but they must not form the only pillar of Birmingham’s recruitment regime. The strongest clubs also rely heavily on data and scouting and it will be interesting to see how Blues’ approach develops this summer.

Which young players could break out next season to fill gaps in the first-team squad?

Soon after Christian Purslow became chief executive of Aston Villa, he poached youth experts Mark Harrison and Steve Hopcroft from West Bromwich Albion and tasked them with revamping Villa’s academy. The Premier League club now have the best youth structure in the Midlands and Purslow still regards Harrison as one of the most important signings of his time in B6.

Given their increased resources and £10million investment in their training base in rural Warwickshire, Blues would be wise to follow a similar approach. As arresting as their dealings have been under the Knighthead ownership, it is crucial they make the most of their new pulling power and a rich catchment area.

Of those in the system, Zach Willis and Briar Bateman are worth keeping an eye on. Willis is a ball-playing defender who is close to a Wales Under-21 call-up while Bateman is a forward who can play across the attacking line.

Which players are set to leave?

Players with one year left on their contracts include Keshi Anderson, Alfie Chang and Emmanuel Longelo. Tyler Roberts and Dion Sanderson are also likely to depart while it is hard to see both Lyndon Dykes and Alfie May staying put, especially with Blues on the lookout for forwards. 

When will the Amazon Prime documentary be released?

Interesting developments on this on the BBFC website, which ensures films and other media productions are age-appropriate. On Wednesday, the site carried a page describing ‘a sports documentary’ under the title ‘Built In Birmingham’, with an age rating of 15. The first two episodes were titled ‘No Fear’ and ‘Turn the Page’, with the director listed as Claudia Corbisiero. Birmingham confirmed in April that Corbisiero would co-direct the series along with Gotham Chopra. One instalment was previewed thus: ‘In this episode, new management takes over the club, implementing immediate changes.’ By Thursday morning, however, the page had been removed, replaced by an error message. The release is imminent, however, and it remains to be seen whether this title will be the one chosen.

Could Tommy Doyle join on loan from Wolves?

The former Manchester City midfielder is surplus to requirements at Molineux and Blues are interested in bringing him to St Andrew’s. The arrangement being discussed is thought to be for a season-long loan, possibly including an obligation to buy if Blues are promoted instantly to the top flight. Blues are not the only club to have shown an interest in Doyle, however, with Sheffield United also thought to be keen.