Sport
Is Birmingham City’s Premier League Return Imminent?
Sometimes in life, you have to take one step back to take two steps forward, and that will be the hope for Birmingham City fans at this moment in time.
The Blues are playing in the third tier for the first time in 30 years this season, having been relegated on the final day of the previous Championship campaign.
That hasn’t stopped the Midlands outfit from investing heavily in their side though, with a reported £30 million being spent over the summer, which is a record for League One.
With City eying an immediate return to the Championship after investing heavily in their playing squad, we quizzed Football League World’s Birmingham fan pundit Mike Gibbs on what the next five years might hold for the club.
Birmingham City will hold Premier League aspiration despite League One relegation
City were taking no prisoners in the summer transfer window, with as many as 17 players making the move to St Andrew’s to join the Chris Davies revolution.
The most outlandish of those deals was the one that brought former loanee Jay Stansfield back to the club for good, with the third-tier outfit said to have agreed a fee that could rise to £20 million if all-ons are included.
That move absolutely smashed the previous transfer record for the level, with Sunderland’s £4 million move for Will Grigg in 2019 completely blown out the water.
With the heavy outlay to make a side that should be winning the division by a canter, Gibbs now has high hopes for the future for his side, with the summer shaping spree breeding new hope into the fanbase.
The Blues fan said: “I can see us being in the Premier League in five years, although it will be no easy task don’t get me wrong.
“It is absolutely achievable if you look at the investment we have made if we can continue to drive the level of investment into the playing squad, back the manager, continue to play in front of a sell-out crowd.
| Jay Stansfield’s Birmingham City Stats 2023-24 – League Only, As Per FotMob | |
|---|---|
| Goals | 12 |
| Assists | 2 |
| Chances created | 39 |
| Successful dribbles | 38 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 9.28 |
“Fingers crossed we get promoted this year, and that gives us four years capable of building a squad capable of challenging at the top of the Championship.”
Birmingham City summer investment could have long-term positive consequences
While Stansfield has already proven himself to be a top-end Championship player in the making with his 12 league goals for the club last season, Birmingham have added a number of players with seemingly one eye back on the Championship.
The likes of Willum Thor Willumsson, Emil Hansson and Lyndon Dykes [pictured] will all prove to be astute signings if promotion is secured at the first time of asking, with all three having top-flight experience in leagues around Europe.
That quality has already been proven at the start of the current campaign, with an opening day draw with Reading followed up with victories over Wycombe Wanderers, Leyton Orient, and Wigan Athletic.
With the talent that is already in the squad, Gibbs believes that if all goes to plan, he can see his side competing for a spot back in the top flight before the decade comes to an end.
He continued: “I’d argue that this squad is already a Championship quality squad, and if you just add additional quality to that I can see us competing very quickly.
“I don’t think we will do an Ipswich and do a double bounce, but if we are promoted this year, have a season of consolidation, a season pushing towards the play-offs, then one or two years to get promoted seems absolutely achievable.”
After such a dismal few years at St Andrew’s, Gibbs’ predictions would be quite the turnaround in fortunes in the Midlands, having not played in the top flight since the 2010/11 campaign.
With plenty of expectation surrounding them, Davies has a lot resting on his shoulders in the year ahead, with plenty not expecting them to linger around in the third tier for all too long.
