Despite a difficult few months, Birmingham City will be looking to revitalize the Wayne Rooney era during the January transfer window.
After making the contentious choice to trade Rooney for John Eustace in October, Birmingham City’s season has only gotten worse. Not too long after the halfway point of the Championship campaign, they went from the play-offs to 19th place in the table, seven points clear of the drop.
Rooney will have an opportunity to restructure his roster with some new additions in January, though. He can also restructure the team because so many players are out of contract; some could depart in the winter, while others might play elsewhere in 2024.
The players without contracts
Some of the unsigned contracts for the following year have already been connected to winter departures.You’d be surprised if Neil Etheridge and Scott Hogan weren’t the only ones “up for grabs” in the New Year, according to reports.
Since many of the players who are out of contract are older, Rooney will need to determine if keeping them in mind for Birmingham City in the long run. The contracts of mainstays Lukas Juktiewicz and John Ruddy, as well as 33-year-old center backs Marc Roberts and Kevin Long, expire in 2024.The 31-year-old Gary Gardner is also unsigned.
Keshi Anderson, who signed a one-year contract in the summer, has struggled with injuries; however, he made a comeback against Stoke City. He’ll be trying to get a postponement.
Ivan Sunjic, a midfielder from Croatia, is one player who is working hard to get an extension. Few would have predicted that Rooney’s career at Birmingham City would have taken off, but since coming back from his summer loan, he has provided an active presence in the middle, and he and Krystian Bielik could form a formidable midfield partnership.
The two young players Marcel Oakley and Nico Gordon are last but certainly not least. Despite having few opportunities, Oakley has not been used as a substitute in the last five Championship games, while Gordon, the center back, has only made one appearance while on loan at Solihull Moors.
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