Birmingham City have eight days remaining in the summer transfer window, and supporters believe significant work is still needed to give head coach Chris Davies the squad depth required for a sustainable promotion challenge. The club have already signed four new players and brought back two of last season's loanees, but gaps remain, particularly in attacking areas.
Blues have started the season positively away from home, with a win at Swansea and a draw at Sheffield United. There has been a noticeable improvement in size and physicality to cope with the demands of away fixtures. However, with only one front-line left winger and speculation linking Marvin Ducksch and Kanya Fujimoto with moves away, there appears to be a lack of creativity in the No. 10 position, a shortcoming that could be most acute in home matches.
Davies admits squad needs improvement
Speaking on Saturday, Davies acknowledged the slow pace of transfer activity. "It's quite slow. That's the way it is. We've got to get this next 10 days right and improve the squad," he said. That timeframe has now shrunk to eight days, and Blues are being linked with several players.
One name to emerge is Colombian defender Brayan Medina. Journalist Pipe Sierra claims Medina has 'caught the interest' of Blues, Wolves and Southampton, with all three clubs 'open to making moves'. The 24-year-old currently plays for CD Tondela in the Portuguese second tier, having moved there last summer for €2.5m from Colombian side CD América. He was reportedly set to leave in January, with links to Lille OSC, OGC Nice and Anderlecht, but remained for the season. He is once again the subject of speculation as Wolves could lose Ladislav Krejci to Real Sociedad, and Blues' cross-city rivals are also in for Southampton's Taylor Harwood-Bellis.
Portuguese reporter Sebastião Sousa-Pinto claims Wolves are 'advancing in negotiations' and that the defender has been requested by César Peixoto. However, a left-sided centre half does not appear to be a priority for Blues, with Dael Fry having already joined and yet to play a game. Jack Robinson also remains an option for that position.
Midfield link and teenage striker
Blues have also been linked with 21-year-old midfielder Rokas Pukštas, who has been at Croatian club Hajduk Split since 2020. Born in the United States, he has been playing regularly in the Croatian top flight for four years after joining from the Barcelona academy. The Daily Mail claim Pukštas was watched by scouts as Split drew 2-2 in their UEFA Conference League qualifier first leg against Rakow Czestochowa last week. Similar to Max Bird, Pukštas can operate in defensive or attacking midfield positions. However, it does not feel like a priority position and appears to be a 'legacy' rumour that predated the signing of Bird.
Last month, Bristol Live reported that Ollie Dewsbury was training with Everton, after several clubs registered an interest in the 18-year-old, including Arsenal, Stoke City and Fulham. Blues and Stoke are now reported to be interested in signing Dewsbury permanently, with a loan move to a National League club also a possibility after September 1, as non-league teams do not have a designated transfer window like EFL sides. This would undoubtedly be for the youth set-up, and even if Blues did sign the teenage striker, he would either spend the first half of the season playing age-group football or be loaned out by new loans manager Darren Carter.
Remaining transfer priorities
Last week, it was suggested that Blues could be involved in up to eight transfers, including a winger and a No. 10, plus six more as the likes of Ducksch and Fujimoto are linked with moves away. Scott Wright and Lee Buchanan could also leave, either temporarily or permanently. One transfer that looked a possibility a few days ago, the exit of Patrick Roberts, seems to have been scotched. Davies has made it clear he sees the winger as a key player, and Tony Mowbray has dismissed links with his former Sunderland star.
The two glaring holes in the squad continue to be a left winger and a No. 10. First-choice left wing target Ibrahim Osman continues to impress at Brighton, coming off the bench to make his Premier League debut in a 4-0 win on Sunday. The Ghanaian has now featured in both of the Seagulls' matches this season and particularly impressed in the UEFA Conference League qualifier in Tromso. Blues will keep the door open for last season's loan man, but Brighton might not even come knocking. With eight days left, the club's transfer activity will be closely watched by supporters.
