Club clears air over Under-23 quartet’s arrival

BIRMINGHAM City have clarified their ongoing transfer situation after signing four players for the development squad.

Francis Amartey, Cameron McGilp, Danny Lupano and Michael Luyambula have put pen to paper on contracts to link up with the under23s.

Blues have been put under restriction by the EFL regarding transfers – and the club confirmed that the arrival of the four new youngsters has no bearing on that situation.

None of the quartet can represent Garry Monk’s first team at present, and they do not count towards the quota of players Blues can to sign.

Blues said in a statement : “Under the restrictions, the club have been placed under by the EFL, none of (the) quartet are available to play firstteam football. But they fall outside the allocated number of players the club is allowed to recruit.”

Striker Amartey and defender Lupano have been training with the club for some time while McGilp, originally from Scotland, has joined from A-League side Melbourne Victory. Meanwhile, goalkeeper Lyambula was most recently signed to German giants Borussia Dortmund.

Monk has been working to add to his squad after the signing of Kristian Pedersen in June but had, up until this month, been prevented from doing so due to a transfer embargo that had been put in place by the EFL.

Blues have been permitted to sign five players up until the end of the window, after the embargo was lifted.

They have so far brought in Omar Bogle, Conor Mahoney and Gary Gardner on loan since that development, as well as Lee Camp on a free transfer.

Monk, who moved Jonathan Grounds to Bolton on a season-long loan deal this week, has until August 31 to further add to this squad.