Birmingham City have been credited with an interest in young goalkeeper James Beadle ahead of the opening of the January transfer window. Beadle, 19, is on the books of Brighton and Hove Albion but has spent the first half of this season on loan at League One Oxford United.

The England youth goalkeeper has impressed too at the Kassam Stadium; to date Beadle has kept nine clean sheets in his 24 senior appearances this season and his performances have contributed to the U’s finding themselves in third place in League One before the festive schedule.

Last winter the teenager signed a new long term contract with Brighton which runs until the summer of 2026, before they decided to loan him out in the summer. It’s his second experience of EFL football having earned minutes in the second half of last season’s League Two campaign with Crewe Alexandra.

Beadle has, according to the Sheffield Star, gathered interest from Sheffield Wednesday and Blues ahead of the reopening of the January window. Both sides could offer Brighton the opportunity for Beadle to play at a higher level in the second half of the season, although Blues currently have John Ruddy as their undisputed number one.

Experienced Ruddy played 43 matches under John Eustace last season and has played in every league game this term, including all ten under Wayne Rooney. There have been reports recently, however, that Blues are happy to listen to offers for keeping deputy Neil Etheridge in January – he has played in all six cup games since the beginning of last season but has only four league appearances to his name since the end of the 2021-22 season.

Oxford boss Des Buckingham addressed the prospect of loan recalls jeopardising the club’s promising season. He said: “They’re here and playing extremely well in a team that’s trying to progress and have a successful season.

“Hopefully the way that they’re looked after here, the club that loans them to us can see how they’re developing and how they’re playing, so if there was an opportunity to be recalled, I’d like to think that they’d think twice because they see how well they are doing.

“Of course, we haven’t got too much control over that should they want to, but it’s about making sure when we look at recruitment and the work the recruitment team do, there’s succession planning and back-up plans. Should it happen, I’d like to think we’re as well-placed as we could be to make sure we cover ourselves quickly.”

Six foot six Beadle, who joined Brighton from Charlton in 2022, has played for England at under 15, under 16, under 18, under 19 and currently at under 20 level.

GET MORE NEWS HERE