An update has emerged on Pritchard – and it isn’t a good one for either Pritchard or the Black Cats.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Birmingham City are happy to wait until the summer to sign Alex Pritchard,
- This is a blow for the 30-year-old who wants to leave Sunderland now.
- Pritchard’s contract expires in the summer.
Birmingham City are happy to wait until the summer to secure the signature of Sunderland midfielder Alex Pritchard, according to Alan Nixon.
The Midlands outfit have endured a very quiet window, with Andre Dozzell their only addition thus far following his loan switch from Queens Park Rangers.
In fairness to Blues, they endured a very busy summer transfer window with plenty of new faces coming in.
| Birmingham City – 2023/24 Signings | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player Name | Signed From | Loan/Permanent |
| Dion Sanderson | Wolves | Permanent |
| Lee Buchanan | Werder Bremen | Permanent |
| Ethan Laird | Man United | Permanent |
| Krystian Bielik | Derby County | Permanent |
| Tyler Roberts | Leeds United | Permanent |
| Koji Miyoshi | Royal Antwerp | Permanent |
| Keshi Anderson | Blackpool | Permanent |
| Cody Drameh | Leeds United | Loan |
| Emanuel Aiwu | Cremonese | Loan |
| Oli Burke | Werder Bremen | Loan |
| Jay Stansfield | Fulham | Loan |
| Siriki Dembele | AFC Bournemouth | Permanent |
They were able to invest in their squad due to the revenue they generated from transfers in the summer, not just from the sales of Jobe Bellingham and Tahith Chong, but also from Jude Bellingham’s move from Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid.
When the latter made the switch to Germany, Blues included a sell-on clause, and that has proved to be an excellent decision.
This money may even help to get deals over the line for others during the January transfer window, but they only have a few days left to make any additions they wish to.
Birmingham City’s stance on Alex Pritchard
With manager Tony Mowbray working with Pritchard before when the former was at the Stadium of Light, it’s no surprise that Blues have taken an interest in the 30-year-old.
His contract expires at the end of the campaign and this window may give the Midlands side the opportunity to strike a fairly cheap deal for him.
If Freddie Woodman leaves Deepdale, the Lilywhites are keeping an eye on Sam Tickle, a superstar for Wigan Athletic.The fact that Pritchard submitted a transfer request and withdrew from consideration for selection may have further reduced his price, leaving the Black Cats in a difficult situation as the window draws to a close.
It is somewhat of a setback for the 30-year-old, who is eager to leave the team right away, but Birmingham is content to wait until the summer when he will be available for free.
Although a transfer to St Andrew’s doesn’t appear likely at this time, the Black Cats still want to see him go before the window closes at the end of the month.
What Birmingham City should do regarding Alex Pritchard saga
If Mowbray really wants Pritchard, Birmingham should be looking to make a low offer for the 30-year-old.
With the player clearly unhappy, Michael Beale’s side may be happy to sanction an exit for a nominal fee and if that’s all it will take to lure him to St Andrew’s, Blues should be willing to pay that amount.
Although they could secure him for free in the summer, he may have plenty of contract offers on the table at that point.
The Black Cats may not be able to get him tied down to a new deal, but another team could.
And that’s why Blues need to sign him this window if they can, although they shouldn’t be persuaded to spend too much on the 30-year-old.
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