Birmingham City's Transfer Ambition: Record Deals and La Liga Target
Birmingham City are actively pursuing reinforcements as the January transfer window approaches its conclusion, with a significant £7million move for Alaves winger Carlos Vicente on the cards. This ambitious pursuit comes as the Championship club looks to strengthen its squad for the remainder of the campaign.
Recent Form and League Position
The Blues recently played out a 1-1 draw at home against Stoke City, with Tomoki Iwata finding the net. Despite this result, they currently occupy 13th place in the Championship table after 29 fixtures, sitting just four points adrift of the play-off positions held by Wrexham in sixth. Their next challenge sees them travel to face Oxford United at the Kassam Stadium this weekend.
The Current Record Transfer List
Amidst this transfer activity, Birmingham City's historical spending provides context for their current market ambitions. According to Transfermarkt data, their top five record transfer deals currently stand as follows:
- Jay Stansfield – £15.4m (permanent signing from Fulham in 2024)
- Emile Heskey – £8.1m
- Kyogo Furuhashi – £7.8m
- David Dunn – £7.6m
- Ivan Sunjic – £6m
Stansfield remains the club's record signing, having initially impressed during a loan spell before making his move permanent following Birmingham's relegation to League One. The attacker has since registered 32 goals in 69 appearances. In contrast, former Celtic striker Kyogo Furuhashi has struggled to replicate his previous form despite a recent goal against Sheffield Wednesday, with speculation mounting about a potential January exit.
Profile of Target Carlos Vicente
The proposed £7m signing of Carlos Vicente represents a strategic move to bolster Birmingham's attacking options. The 26-year-old Spanish winger would provide additional competition and depth in forward areas, offering a different dimension to their offensive play.
Vicente has featured in 25 matches across all competitions this season, including 21 league appearances, contributing 10 goals and three assists. His current contract with Alaves runs until June 2027, but a move appears increasingly likely.
Alaves manager Eduardo Coudet recently highlighted Vicente's importance, stating: "We're a team that needs to work on movement and ball circulation. We lack that player who can dribble past opponents and create a goal from nothing. The closest to that role is Carlos Vicente, but he's more comfortable moving wide than playing centrally."
Career Pathway and Development
The Zaragoza-born forward began his career at Real Zaragoza, progressing through their youth academy before departing as a young player. He gained valuable experience in Spain's lower leagues with clubs including Pobla Mafumet, Ejea, Calahorra, and Racing Ferral. His 2024 move to Alaves has proven successful, establishing him as a player ready for new challenges.
Birmingham City's pursuit of Vicente signals their intent to invest in quality additions as they aim to climb the Championship table and challenge for promotion places in the coming months.
