Birmingham City have entered the race to sign a £6 million “monster” ahead of Championship rivals Sheffield United, according to a recent report.
Birmingham City announce James Beadle signing
The Blues are preparing for life back in the Championship after an excellent League One campaign, during which they broke many records on their way to winning the third-tier title. Given the club’s ambitions, there are many arrivals expected at St Andrews this summer.
The latest arrival is goalkeeper James Beadle, who has joined on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion. The shotstopper, who has just won the Under-21 European Championships with England, is ready to “take the next step” in his career after two separate spells at Sheffield Wednesday.
Beadle told the club’s official website, via BBC: “I want to take that next step up and play at the top end of the table. Now I’ve had experiences in the Championship, I really feel like this year I can kick on.”
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After wrapping up a deal for Beadle, the Blues can now turn their attention to their other transfer targets. According to Ben Jacobs, Birmingham have already reached an agreement to sign Demarai Gray on a free transfer. Meanwhile, they are in talks with defender Ben Davies over a permanent move to the club after a successful loan spell from Rangers last season.
Birmingham City enter race to sign £6m “monster” ahead of Sheffield Utd
Davies may be keen on reuniting with Davies once again, but he is also in the market for a more athletic defender to play alongside him. According to The EFL Zone, Birmingham have entered the race to sign defender Ashley Phillips from Tottenham Hotspur.
The report states that the young defender is expected to leave Spurs either on a loan deal to gain valuable minutes or on a permanent transfer should his asking price be met. Sheffield United are also big admirers of the defender, and reports have revealed they are weighing up whether to make a £6 million move for him.
|
Ashley Phillips’ 24/25 Championship stats |
|
|---|---|
|
Apps |
35 |
|
Minutes per game |
88 |
|
Clean sheets |
10 |
|
Interceptions per game |
1.0 |
|
Tackles per game |
0.7 |
|
Balls recovered per game |
2.0 |
|
Clearances |
5.9 |
|
Ground duels won |
1.2 (60%) |
|
Aerial duels won |
2.5 (52%) |
|
Total duels won |
3.7 (55%) |
The 20-year-old, who has been dubbed a “monster” by Spurs insider Jon Wenham, spent last season on loan at Championship side Stoke City. Phillips, who can play in central defence as well as defensive midfield, started and played 35 times for the Potters, as he helped the club avoid relegation to League One.
Phillips remains under contract at Spurs until 2028, but if he doesn’t feature in the plans of Thomas Frank, then a permanent switch could be on the cards; it is just a question of whether Birmingham would rather a loan deal or a permanent, making this one to watch.
