Club hope to make loophole loan signing

BIRMINGHAM City are lining up a move for Arsenal youngster Josh Dasilva.

Blues revealed on Monday that they were still in talks with the EFL regarding their ability to conduct transfer business and still comply with Financial Fair Play restrictions.

“The EFL are currently refusing to allow us to make additions which would enable us to strengthen the manager’s squad,” the club statement read.

Despite that, a loan deal for Dasilva appears to be in the offing.

The Arsenal academy product, who since joining the club at the age of eight has played up front, in midfield and in defence, featured in EFL Cup wins over Norwich, Doncaster and West Ham last season under Arsene Wenger.

The 19-year-old was also an unused sub in last season’s Europa League win over Red Star Belgrade.

Blues, who have so far signed only left-back Kristian Pedersen this summer, are under an embargo – but there is a loophole .

The EFL will permit the signing of a player if the club’s current squad consists of less than 24 senior players (senior being defined as players aged 21 or over and who have made five or more first-team appearances) and if the salary of the incoming player is less than £600,000 a year.

Or if the club in question has 24 players exactly, they can sell a player and replace him with a player who is on 75 per cent of the wages of the outgoing player and, again, is below the £600,000 mark.

Blues currently have less than 24 senior established players, and so are able to bring another player in under these particular guidelines.

That player at this stage looks like being Dasilva.

Blues and the Gunners have done quite a bit of loan business down the years.

Steve Bruce was the benefactor of quartet Seb Larsson, Fabrice Muamba, Johan Djourou and Nicklas Bendtner.

More recently, Gary Rowett landed Jon Toral and Harry Redknapp last summer brought in Carl Jenkinson and Cohen Bramall.