2 Birmingham City players likely to follow Jordan James out of St Andrew’s

HIGHLIGHTS

•  Birmingham City, despite relegation, show ambition with new ownership & investment in state-of-the-art facilities for the future.
•  Krystian Bielik, a key player for Birmingham, is likely to attract interest from higher-level clubs given his qualities.
•  Siriki Dembélé, with natural talent, could be crucial for Birmingham’s potential promotion push in League One if retained.

With Chris Davies at the helm, Birmingham City, who were demoted to the third division of English football for the first time since 1995, will be hoping to return to the Championship at the first opportunity.

The Blues have undoubtedly displayed desire under the new ownership, and last year saw the first signs of what may turn out to be an exciting new dawn. However, relegation has undone some of the excellent work done in the summer, with managerial appointments being a particular problem in 2023–2024.

But there’s no denying Birmingham has enough financial resources to go out and assemble a strong League One team. The proposed investment in the city’s new Sports Quarter, which will house the team’s training facilities and brand-new stadium, makes that much evident.

If these are truly going to be state-of-the-art facilities, then the team using them ought to be equally cutting edge. Although that might not be the case right now, given the club’s current circumstances, it is hoped that relegation will just be a minor setback. The club’s participants will be hoping that this is merely an early glitch.

Davies, the assistant at Tottenham Hotspur, has been named their next manager. His tenure should be a time of more success for the Blues, who have finished below 17th in the Championship for seven consecutive years.

Naturally, winning will be easier after relegation, but it also means that a big part of their team is going to be gone—either as free agents or as players who are too talented for third-tier football—or as loan players returning to their parent clubs.

It implies that there will be a significant rebuilding project, and Jordan James is one player who will definitely be in demand given his incredible performances despite the club’s challenging season. James is a Welsh starlet. Here, we examine two more players who are most likely to leave St. Andrew’s after him.

1 Kristian Bielik

Krystian Bielik is the sort of profile that could be transformative for Birmingham, if they are able to retain him in League One, as he is the sort of player to build the team around for a promotion push.

The 26-year-old, who spent a year on loan at St Andrew’s and impressed under John Eustace, signed a three-year deal with the West Midlands club last summer on a permanent basis. Having suffered from multiple cruciate ligament injuries, Bielik’s career could have already been over as well.

However, he managed to stay fit for Blues last term and justified why they made a move for him in the summer, for a low risk fee. He was one of the players to emerge with real credit in spite of the club’s relegation from the Championship.

He is a strong, aggressive, combative, and comfortable midfielder in possession. He can progress the ball, has good press-resistant characteristics, can break up play, and at his best has a real engine in midfield as well. All of that, and his age, is exactly why he will have suitors at a higher level.

Derby once paid a club-record £9.5 million fee to Arsenal for the Polish midfielder, showcasing his talent, and explaining why Birmingham have virtually little chance of keeping him for 2024/25.

2Siriki Dembélé

Last summer, the arrival of Siriki Dembélé thrilled the Birmingham supporters immensely. He had a difficult time developing a steady run of form, despite his evident natural skill.

At this level, he clearly has the capacity to make an impact, and if they can hold onto him, he should have a part to play in helping the Blues advance from the third division by providing magical moments.

When Dembélé was signed from Premier League Bournemouth last summer, his speed, dynamism, and directness in attack were unmatched by anything Birmingham had seen recently. However, those are traits that have helped him achieve success in the past, even at a level higher than League One.

His October brace against Huddersfield demonstrated his abilities. But as the season progressed and there were numerous managerial changes, the battle for regular minutes began. Nevertheless, this summer should see higher-level offers, which the club will undoubtedly take into account.

Should Dembélé receive some consistency and support, he has the potential to excel not only with the Blues but also in other situations. Though it’s hard to imagine him playing outside of the second division of English football, or even back in Scotland, his flair might cause havoc in League One.

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