Birmingham need a Marlon King-esque signing this summer
HIGHLIGHTS
- Birmingham lack a reliable goalscorer.
- Free agents like Jonson Clarke-Harris could be beneficial.
- Signing a player similar to Marlon King could help return to the team.
In 2011, Marlon King transferred from Coventry City to Birmingham City with the goal of achieving immediate promotion to the Premier League.
King previously scored regularly in the second-tier with Gillingham and Watford. He also spent three seasons in the Premier League with Wigan Athletic, Hull City, and Middlesbrough before returning to the Championship with Coventry in 2010.
He was productive for the Sky Blues and had verbally agreed to extend his one-year contract with the club in the summer of 2011, but chose to join Birmingham under new manager Chris Hughton.
Then 31, King proved to be an excellent addition for Hughton, scoring 18 goals and providing 11 assists in 49 appearances across all competitions as the Blues finished fourth, but lost in the play-off semi-finals to eventual winners Blackpool and were eliminated in the Europa League group stage.
He scored 14 goals in 30 appearances in 2012/13, however his contract was terminated that summer due to a long-term knee ailment.
Birmingham could do far worse than find another King this summer, a player who can score goals at will and improve his teammates as they look to return to the Championship after only one season in the third tier.
Birmingham don’t have a goalscorer
The Blues depended largely on Jay Stansfield’s performances in the 2023/24 season, but even his 12 league goals were insufficient to keep them from relegation.
Stansfield, who was elected Players’ and Supporters’ Player of the Season, is set to return to Fulham for another second-tier loan move this summer, since relegation prevents Blues from pursuing him further.
| Jay Stansfield 2023/24 Championship statistics | |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 43 |
| Goals | 12 |
| Assists | 2 |
| Shots on target per 90 | 0.7 |
| Shot-Creating Actions per 90 | 2.32 |
| Progressive Carries per 90 | 2.48 |
| Stats provided by transfermarkt & fbref | |
Scott Hogan and Lukas Jutkiewicz are both out of contract this summer and appear to be on their way out after scoring one and three league goals in 2023/24, respectively – a disappointing return from two seasoned strikers at a club in desperate need of goals.
Tyler Roberts, who arrived from Leeds United this summer, is the sole in-contract center-forward option for next season. However, the 25-year-old has struggled with hamstring ailments and has yet to score a goal in 17 league games.
The Blues will hope that in-contract wingers Koji Miyoshi and Siriki Dembele, who each scored six league goals this season, will stay with the club to help them relegate, but they will almost certainly lose valuable assets Jordan James and Juninho Bacuna, who scored eight and seven league goals, respectively.
Whoever is in control at St Andrew’s in 2024/25 will want a goalscorer, and a King-inspired acquisition would undoubtedly assist.
The free agent market could help
King was signed on a free transfer in 2011, and that route could again pay off for Blues as they attempt to get some bargains given the pulling power they will undoubtedly have in the third tier.
Jonson Clarke-Harris is departing Peterborough this summer as a modern-day club icon, having scored 87 goals in 189 games since joining from Bristol Rovers in 2020.
He would be a good addition to any League One club, therefore Birmingham should be interested in his services if they are looking for a target man and a player who will score when given the perfect opportunity.
Millwall’s Tom Bradshaw, who previously played for Walsall in League One and Barnsley in the Championship, is due to become a free agent. At 31 years old, he may be ready to return to a lower tier.
Devante Cole, 29, is poised to leave Barnsley with his contract set to expire, and would be a statement signing after being third in the League One scoring statistics this season with 18 goals in 46 appearances, albeit maybe destined for the Championship.
We will have to wait and see if those players are attainable targets. However, what they could bring is the same influence King had all those years ago, hopefully ensuring the Blues’ League One tenure is brief.
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