Birmingham City manager Chris Davies has delivered a clear ultimatum regarding midfielder Kanya Fujimoto: the Japanese playmaker must play regular football this season, whether that is at St Andrew's or away on loan. The 27-year-old, who joined Blues on a three-year contract from Gil Vicente in 2025, endured a torrid debut campaign in England.
Fujimoto's difficult first season at Blues
Fujimoto failed to start a single league game for Birmingham City last season and managed only seven appearances across all competitions, totalling a meagre 141 minutes of first-team action. The lack of game time raised serious questions about his long-term future at the club, with many expecting a swift exit during the summer transfer window.
However, the attacking midfielder has impressed during pre-season, featuring prominently in Blues' friendly fixtures. He started the prestigious clash against Barcelona last weekend, a match widely viewed as the dress rehearsal for the competitive opener at Swansea City on Saturday.
Davies praises Fujimoto's pre-season revival
Speaking frankly about Fujimoto's situation, Davies acknowledged the midfielder's resurgence but stressed that another season of inactivity is not an option. "Kanya has had a bit of a mini revival in a sense that he was not featuring at all in squads and through some of the depth issues that we’ve had he has had an opportunity to play regular minutes in pre-season, and he shows up really well in that number 10 position and he’s had some good games," Davies said.
"He’s certainly been very diligent in the job I’ve asked him to do in there. That has grown his confidence, and probably my confidence in him, but he’s a player that can’t have another season like he had last year where he didn’t play too much. I think a lot will be looked at in the next few weeks in that, but he’s in a good period and has had a good pre-season."
Transfer window uncertainty ahead of Swansea opener
The situation remains fluid as Birmingham City prepare for their Championship curtain-raiser against Swansea City on Saturday, followed by a clash with Sheffield United next weekend. It is entirely feasible that certain players, including Fujimoto, could feature in those matches before being offloaded later in the transfer window.
Davies has a track record of using players in season openers only to sell them before the window closes. In each of his two seasons at the helm, at least one player has started the first league game and then departed St Andrew's by the end of August.
Davies admits uncertainty affects squad morale
Addressing the broader uncertainty within the squad, Davies admitted that the transfer window creates challenges for players and staff alike. "I think there’s uncertainty there but it’s probably not just us, it’s all other clubs as well. It’s not ideal for me because everybody wants to be certain of their role and status and of the next at least six months of their career," he explained.
"We just have to manage that. A few more ins naturally would lead to a few more outs. Things should become clearer. Not just in the next four weeks, hopefully in the next two weeks we should see things a bit clearer."
What's next for Fujimoto?
With the transfer window open until the end of August, Fujimoto's immediate future hangs in the balance. His pre-season performances have certainly boosted his stock, and Davies' comments suggest that a loan move or a permanent transfer could be on the cards if he cannot secure regular first-team football at Birmingham City.
For now, all eyes will be on the team selection for Saturday's trip to Swansea, where Fujimoto could be handed a rare competitive start. Regardless of the outcome, Davies has made it clear that the Japanese international cannot afford another season on the periphery.
