Birmingham City completed the summer transfer window with one of the most numerous arrivals in the championship, despite being quite a trail from the highest spending.
Tom Wagner and Tom Brady oversaw the permanent relocation of 14 new players, loan moves and the arrival of free agents, as well as Chris Davies’s £3.6 million, just over £3.6 million. They ranked 7th in the highest net spending, with only a small number of teams having more arrivals. But until the deadline, Davis shared his desire for more arrivals:
“I think we need a bit of strengthening. Again, with depth in the defensive area, a little bit deeper and perhaps higher on the pitch. But like I said, there are a lot of moving parts, so we have to see what the team will look like over the next few days.
The Blues were added late to Sheffield United and Sunderland defenders Jack Robinson and winger Patrick Roberts, respectively. But now it appears that the deadline day was not satisfied with Davis’ desire for reinforcements. So, Birmingham is trying to take advantage of the free agent market to introduce the midfielder that the Premier League has won.
Birmingham frontrunner signs free agent Oclade Chamberlain
Birmingham City is looking to continue its development into a Premier League quality team by bolstering its midfield options and introducing free agent and former Premier League winner Alex Oclade Chan Berren.
Since leaving Liverpool in 2023, Oklade Changberlen has been playing for Besiktas on the Turkish side. However, in mid-August, Besiktas was about to terminate Oxlade-Chamberlain’s contract, and it began to be reported that the midfielder was interested in moving to the UK. On August 27, the Turkish side was rewarded with the remaining £1.5 million contract and made him a free agent.
During the transfer window, the club was able to sign a Nike sponsored midfielder, but the club focused on transactions requiring a transfer from the actual club to the club.
Birmingham has been one of the most connected teams since rumors of contract termination were first destroyed. Football insider Pete O’Rourke has reportedly been on the forefront of the race to sign Oclade Chamberlain and is a leading candidate. However, they face competition between European teams and Premier League side Leeds United.
Opportunity to sign a “great” midfielder
If Birmingham can seduce Oklade Chamberlain from other suitors, they will receive veteran players in Champions League and international experience.
When he joined Besiktas, former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp, he had plenty of praise, calling Oxlade-Chamberlain “great.”
In the years since Klopp said this about Oxlade-Chamberlain, his injury record has not improved. However, the experience he can bring to the Birmingham side is his massive Premier League experience after a successful promotional campaign with Southampton, making him a valuable addition to his team.
