Birmingham City manager Chris Davies has laid out a clear blueprint for the club's summer transfer business, prioritising 'speed, strength, size and power' as the key attributes for new recruits. The Blues have already made two significant additions in Jhon Solis and Dael Fry, both standing over six feet tall, as they look to improve on a 10th-place finish in the Championship last season.
Addressing weaknesses from last season
Davies acknowledged that his side struggled with physicality before Christmas last year, which contributed to a poor away record. To secure a higher finish next term, the manager and his recruitment team are following a strict checklist this summer.
Speaking to club TV cameras in Portugal, Davies said: 'A lot of work is going on behind the scenes and I’m pretty clear what we need to do. We definitely want to improve the speed, strength, size and power of the team. I think that’s going to be important for us to be a more effective team.'
Championship experience vs. raw talent
While the Blues boss values Championship experience, he remains open to signing players without it if they possess the right quality. He cited Solis and Carlos Vicente as examples of such recruits. 'Championship experience is really, really important but if they are the right player – like Solis or Vicente – then they don’t necessarily need that,' Davies added.
Last summer, Blues signed six players by this stage and eventually brought in 12 new faces. This year, no such overhaul is required, but Davies is still targeting a new goalkeeper, as well as reinforcements in midfield and attack.
Patience in a slow market
The World Cup has slowed the transfer market, causing frustration for Davies, who wants to get deals done quickly. 'There’s a little bit of a frustration in a sense that you always want to get players in as quickly as possible. The World Cup can delay things a little bit with the knock-on effect of that,' he said.
He emphasised the importance of improving the squad in every window: 'We want to improve our squad. Every transfer window you need to come out of it stronger than you went in and we’ve still got work to do to make that happen.'
Dael Fry: a statement signing
The acquisition of Dael Fry on a three-year contract after his departure from boyhood club Middlesbrough has been one of the Championship's standout deals. Fry, who captained Boro to the play-off final last season, is widely regarded as one of the division's top central defenders.
Davies revealed his eagerness to sign Fry: 'When it came up that he was potentially available, I was keen to talk to him and explore that one because he scored against us – which I told him I haven’t forgiven him for – but he was very good last season and has been for several years in the Championship.'
The manager praised Fry's character and leadership: 'He’s got a great reputation in the game as a character, a leader obviously, and when I met him you can tell what type of character he is and that he would fit in. That’s really important to me this season in particular, that we bring in those right people.'
Davies also highlighted Fry's physical presence, comparing him to Christoph Klarer: 'He’s big. He’s bigger than Klarer, so that’s saying something. He’s a big, strong, dominant centre-back. That’s what I wanted. He’s going to have to earn his place like all the players do, I’m really glad that he’s here.'
