BRUM IS BLUE!

With the transfer window shut last week I didn’t bother doing a round up and then I’ve managed to forget to get it out for yesterday but here we are! I’ve go you covered with a summing up of any rumours and throwing my own tuppence in.

I’ve seen a couple of gripes that Blues haven’t done any business yet which I think it very unfair, if anything it’s a good thing at this point. I get that Wrexham, whom we seem to get lumped in with nowadays, have brought a player in but it’s worth remembering Blues have already brought in Neumann and converted Alphons loan deal to a permanent move. I know there are areas we need to recruit but it’s also going to be a battle to find value as many clubs will attempt to get the most money out of us as they can.

Kyogo Furuhashi

In the hunt for a Championship ready striker Blues have turned their attention to ex-Celtic man Kyogo Furuhashi. The 30 year old joined Rennes in January this year but has only played six matches in that time. He made the move for a reported £10m transfer but has struggled to make the same impact he did for Celtic.

I’ve not seen any figures banded about so I get the feeling it could be a loan move, I’m not sure Blues would want to splash out on the 30 year old because Rennes will surely be looking to recoup most of the £10m they’d spent in January. Celtic fans still rate the Japanese forward who would be linking up with former Celtic teammate Iwata which could be an exciting link up for the Championship.

There’s a lot of noise around this one so I wouldn’t be surprised to see it come to fruition. I think it would be a great addition to our attacking options and will secure a fair few goals for Blues. I think the move works for Kyogo too, although there is also supposed interest from Bournemouth and you do just wonder would he rather move to a Premier League club.

Tommy Doyle

Blues are allegedly set to announce that they’ve beaten Championship rivals Sunderland to sign Wolverhampton Wanderers central midfielder Tommy Doyle on loan with an option to buy. The 23 year old already has Championship experience having been loaned out to Sheffield United in the 2022/23 season and has also made 50 appearances for Wolves.

Doyle is definitely a player that Davies would be after as he’s from Manchester City, even making one appearance for the Premier League giants. It’s an exciting move and with Doyle left out of the Wolves first team since Vitor Pereira took over, it’s a chance for the young talent to get his career back on track. He’s only out of favour at Wolves because he doesn’t suit the system but the way Davies sets up he should fit in nicely at Blues. I also suspect that the option to buy will likely be triggered if we get promoted (But that’s getting right ahead of myself there).

I think this one is genuine and we’re likely to hear an announcement in the coming days.

Lewis O’Brien

Lewis O’Brien is a 26 year old Midfielder who is currently with Nottingham Forest, although he has had four loan moves since joining Forest in 2022 from Huddersfield Town. He made 16 appearances for Swansea during the 2024/25 campaign and scored one goal.

It’s a funny one, I think Blues are looking to create some competition in the midfield area but with a deal for Tommy Doyle pending and both Paik and Iwata already in the middle it’s not a deal I think will get done. O’Brien will want to be playing regularly and try to force through in the Championship. I also can’t find much about the permanency of the deal but I personally don’t think he’ll bring another level for us, but would be a good bit of cover, and that’s why I don’t think this one will be done.

Carlos Vicente

I think one of the most exciting rumours I’ve seen is Carlos Vicente. The Spaniard currently plays for Deportivo Alaves in La Liga and is a right winger, one of the positions we all know we want some competition for or even a bit of improvement.

The 26 year old is valued at £7m and does have interest from other clubs in Europe, he is down as a Right Winger but can also play up front and in his interview with The Athletic he has said his physicality means he can play at the back as well. I suspect this could be where he gets utilised if he is brought in.

It is a thin link so I’m not convinced we’ll see this one come through but I do think it would be a great addition due to the versatility as well as his ambition, aligned with Blues, to play in the Premier League.

Demarai Gray

I’m trying not to repeat speculation week on week and so I know the Gray was on the first transfer round up but it certainly seems there’s movement on Gray coming back to Blues. He’s looking to get out of Saudi and return to the UK and I think Blues ambition and trajectory, plus he’s already familiar with the club (Although it may seem like a whole different place if he does come back).

The deal was originally valued at £8m, and then a lower value of £6m but not it has been suggested that Blues could land the 28 year old on a free with a 30% sell on clause. If true that is surely a remarkable deal that will allow Blues to offer Gray slightly higher wages and will keep us on the right side of FFP. Any sell on would likely be in a couple of years so it’s essentially almost like deferring payment as well.

The noise is getting louder on this one so I suspect it’s another one that we should hear officially announced in the coming weeks.

Ayumu Yokoyama

Blues signed Yokoyama last season and while there were a few moments of promise from the 22 year old he didn’t fit into Davies plans and was loaned out to Genk. It has now been confirmed that this deal has been made permanent which is good for the player.

The deal is an undisclosed fee but valuation has him at around £600k (So that’ll cover the fines at least). I wish him good luck, it certainly seems he’s happy over there and I think fair play.

George Hall

There is rumours suggesting that George Hall will be moving to Walsall in this window where he spent his time last season on loan. For me this one is a shame, perhaps even a missed trick from Blues in general, Hall was tipped as the next big thing and there were suggestions before last season that Hall would make a move to Leeds. Without intending to put Walsall down, Leeds would have been a far more prestigious move.

Its supposed to be a permanent deal but I don’t know how much is being touted for any transfer fee. I think he would have commanded a higher fee is Leeds had brought him but even so it’s a shame to see him go (If he does).