Window of opportunity for new Blues manager
BIRMINGHAM City have cash to spend following the sale of Jude Bellingham to German giants Borussia Dortmund.
New boss Aitor Karanka will hope to be backed in the transfer market after a flurry of exits involving loanees and out-of-contract players since the end of the campaign.
With clubs in Leagues One and Two now forced to keep an even closer eye on their wage bills following the introduction of a salary cap, we assess five players who could step up into the Championship.
Rob Dickie (Oxford)
Position: Central defender
Age: 24
Value: £2m to £3m
After helping Oxford to the brink of promotion, Dickie is a man in demand with Southampton, Burnley, Fulham, Reading, Derby and Nottingham Forest linked to his signature.
Manager Karl Robinson admits his fee has risen in light of such interest.
He said: “There’s been a lot of interest. We’ve had a phone call (talking) in excess of an awful lot of millions. Would that be enough to get him? We’ve said no.
“Nothing’s been confirmed, nothing’s on the table, but we’ve had phone calls. I’ll be honest, the value we had (to start with) was low in comparison to what we’ve had already. That has really made us sit up and go ‘where we were might not be where this ends’. We’re quite excited by that.”
Ronan Curtis (Portsmouth) Position: Left-winger Age: 24 Value: £3m
The Irishman is being linked with Brentford as they seek a replacement for Said Benrahma, who is Premier Leaguebound.
Curtis reportedly rejected moves to Blackburn and Reading in January. Last season he scored 14 goals and added 12 assists, making interest in his signature inevitable. Curtis is contracted at Fratton Park until 2023 and has three caps for Ireland.
Last week it was announced Pompey are losing £700,000 per month, meaning they might have to cash in.
Ivan Toney (Peterborough) Position: Striker
Age: 24
Value: £6m
Toney scored 26 goals in 39 games in all competitions last term, but Posh are now prepared to sell after they missed out on promotion to the Championship.
Celtic have reportedly bid £4 million, but director of football – and former Birmingham City manager – Barry Fry has gone public on the deal, perhaps looking to drive up the price with Brentford, Derby and also linked to the player.
“They (Celtic) are running out of time now. The lad is very close to signing for someone else,” said Fry.
“Celtic would have been his preferred choice, but they are nowhere near it.”
Forest
Alex Bass (Portsmouth)
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 22
Value: £2m
Bass came into the side in January making 25 appearances. He made a terrible error in the play-off defeat to Oxford, but is highly rated at Fratton Park. Contracted until 2023, he has been linked with a move to Crystal Palace and Middlesbrough.
Manager Kenny Jackett rejected any talk of cashing in on Bass earlier this year, saying: “Selling him is not something we have considered.
“He has caught our eye, that’s the main thing. I hope he stays here and I hope he stays here for a long time and keeps improving.
“He’s a young player and young players want to break through, they want to establish themselves and do well for the club and he is no different. I don’t see anything else other than Alex being at Pompey.’’
Luke O’Nien (Sunderland)
Position: Right-back/midfielder Age: 25
Value: £1.5m
The former Wycombe man is fiercely competitive and recognised for his all-out commitment to the team, making him a fans’ favourite. A key man for Sunderland, he played 45 times last season as they missed out on promotion again.
With the club over-paying for years in terms of fees and wages, they will now be forced to get their house in order when it comes to salaries.