Birmingham City are currently preparing for a season in the Championship after they took League One by storm to secure the title with a record 111 points.
Chris Davies led his side to 34 wins and just three defeats in 46 matches in the third tier in his first campaign in charge of the club, and he is now tasked with building a team to take on the second tier.
As is natural with a promotion to a higher level, there are some players who played regular football in League One for Birmingham who may not make the cut as regulars next term.
One player who may not have as much game time for the Blues is left-winger Keshi Anderson, who started 27 of his 37 appearances this season.
Why Birmingham need an upgrade on Keshi Anderson
The 30-year-old attacker joined the club from Blackpool in the summer of 2023 and failed to deliver much in front of goal in the Championship during his first season, with a return of zero goals and two assists in 20 matches.
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Birmingham’s relegation to League One provided Anderson with an opportunity to produce more quality in the final third at a lower level, with seven goals and five assists in his 27 starts in the third tier.
The left winger’s dismal return at Championship level in the 2023/24 campaign for the Blues and his decent but unspectacular haul this season in League One do not suggest that he is likely to be a key player for Davies next term.
Birmingham should aim for a forward who has the potential to deliver more quality, in terms of goals and assists, on a regular basis at Championship level, which is why they should swoop for Louie Barry.
Why Birmingham should sign Louie Barry
The Championship side should make a move to sign the English winger from their rivals Aston Villa, as GIVEMESPORT recently reported that he could be an option for the club.
Villa are set to send the 21-year-old star, who they valued at around £12m in January, out on loan for the 2025/26 campaign, and Birmingham should take advantage of that to bring him to St. Andrew’s this summer as an upgrade on Anderson.
Barry, whose composure was once hailed as “incredible” by Declan Rice, only played four times for Hull in the Championship in the second half of this season before an injury put an end to his time with the Tigers.
However, his form on loan at Stockport County in League One during the first half of the campaign suggests that he has the potential to be a big upgrade on Anderson.
Appearances
23
Goals
15
Conversion rate
21%
Big chances created
5
Key passes
23
Assists
2
As you can see in the table above, Barry scored more than twice as many goals as the Birmingham winger did in League One, despite leaving the division in the January transfer window, whilst fulfilling a similar tactical role as a right-footed forward on the left flank.
This suggests that the Villa youngster could come in to improve the firepower in Davies’ side heading into the Championship campaign, as he appears more likely to offer a threat at the top end of the pitch in the Championship than Anderson would be.
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Therefore, Birmingham should put their rivalry with the Villans aside to thrash out a loan move for the right-footed star, who could take Anderson’s place in the team and potentially play a key role in a promotion push in the second tier next season.