Sport
Summer Splash: Blues finalise £2.1m Signing That Could Change Everything!
Birmingham are reportedly nearing the acquisition of Sparta Rotterdam defender Mike Eerdhuijzen on a permanent deal.
The 23-year-old, a regular starter for Sparta last season as the Dutch outfit finished eighth in Eredivisie, is set to become Blues’ first outfield signing of the summer. Goalkeeping duo Ryan Allsop and Bailey Peacock-Farrell have already been acquired from Hull City and Burnley, so Eerdhuijzen would be the third overall.
Eerdhuijzen isn’t expected to come on the cheap as Dutch publication De Telegraaf reports the Dutchman is about to swap Sparta for Birmingham in a deal worth €2.5 million (£2.1 million). It’s said to have been too lucrative of an offer for Sparta to turn down, especially as Eerdhuijzen was the third-choice centre-back.
Tijs Velthuis and Bart Vriends both started more matches than Eerdhuijzen, while Rick Meissen wasn’t far behind. Nonetheless, the experience of playing regularly in the Dutch top tier for two consecutive seasons is not to be sniffed at with Birmingham now in League One.
It’s claimed Blues’ ambitions of returning to the Championship and then challenging to be promoted to the Premier League have been crucial to convincing Eerdhuijzen to join. If the reports are true, the former Netherlands Under-20 international will be due for a medical shortly.
Blues to sign more defenders
Birmingham are expected to sign several more defenders in this window as Emanuel Aiwu didn’t join permanently following his loan from Cremonese and Marc Roberts departed after seven years at the club. Cody Drameh has returned to Leeds United, too, while Dion Sanderson is the only natural centre-half remaining.
Krystian Bielik can – and is likely to – fill in alongside Sanderson again next campaign but Chris Davies will want depth in numbers. Although Birmingham are favourites to win League One, the division certainly won’t be a walkover and the squad will need to be well up to scratch.
