The Departure of Kyogo Furuhashi
Kyogo Furuhashi has left Birmingham City to join LA Galaxy, a move that football journalist Brian Dick describes as the 'biggest indictment' of the club's wasted transfer window last summer. The Japanese forward, who arrived with high expectations, became a bit-part player and failed to deliver in front of goal. According to Dick, Furuhashi 'showed himself to be a rare level chance-waster rather than chance-taker,' summing up the broader recruitment failures at St Andrew's.
Furuhashi's exit is the latest in a series of departures as Birmingham City look to unpick the mistakes of the 2025 summer window. The club brought in a dozen new faces that summer, expecting to push for promotion from the Championship after dominating League One. However, the team only briefly entered the play-off race—once in December after a win over Watford, and again in February following a 2-1 victory at Norwich—but failed to secure a top-six spot on both occasions.
A Summer of Missteps
Dick argues that the club's actions spoke louder than words. While each new signing expressed commitment and desire for promotion, the on-field results told a different story. Key recruitments like Kanya Fujimoto saw even less game time than Furuhashi. Jack Robinson made just six Championship starts in 2026, and Tommy Doyle managed only three starts in the final three months of the season. Loan players Lewis Koumas and Eiran Cashin did not stay beyond the January window.
Marvin Ducksch, despite a decent goal return, was ill-suited to the aerial battles of the second tier and did not fit the team's pressing style. According to Dick, 'It would not have been difficult to have discovered that before he arrived.' Bright Osayi-Samuel and James Beadle were also under scrutiny, though both improved toward the end of the campaign—Beadle, in particular, showed promise that warrants patience for his development.
Phil Neumann had some wobbles but recovered, Demarai Gray showed flashes of ability despite fitness issues, and Patrick Roberts struggled to break into the starting lineup. Still, these signings were considered reasonably good, but the window as a whole 'generated more heat than light,' Dick writes.
The January Correction
The club began correcting its course in the January transfer window. New arrivals August Priske, Jhon Solis, and Carlos Vicente adapted far better to the Championship than their summer predecessors. Dick notes that Birmingham City became 'stronger, again, literally, with those three in the team.' However, moving out players who would not be useful for the 2026/27 season became equally important.
Koumas, Cashin, and Doyle returned to their parent clubs, and Ducksch has been linked with a return to Germany. The biggest let-down, Furuhashi, has now played his last game for the Blues. Offloading his wages and freeing up a squad spot is seen as crucial business for the summer window.
Unpicking Last Year's Mistakes
Dick concludes that Birmingham City's biggest transfer priority this summer is to avoid repeating the errors of 2025. The club must ensure that new signings are better suited to the demands of the Championship and the manager's tactical approach. The Furuhashi saga serves as a cautionary tale, and the Blues are now in a position to build on the January corrections rather than repeat past mistakes.
