Birmingham City have “reached an agreement” with the club of a player once hailed as “world-class”, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.
Attackers top of Birmingham’s summer agenda
The Blues now know the full fixtures for next season, following their promotion from League One to the Championship, opening the campaign with a home clash with Ipswich Town, which will be a big early test.
Excitement is building ahead of Birmingham’s return to the second tier of English football, but Chris Davies will know that new signings are badly needed, in order for his side to compete near the top of the table, rather than at the bottom of it.
Attackers appear to be a priority currently, with former Celtic ace Kyogo Furuhashi linked with a move to St Andrew’s, having departed the Scottish Premiership giants to join Ligue 1 side Rennes back in January.
Holstein Kiel attacker Shuto Machino is also seen as a strong option for Birmingham, as they look to provide healthy competition for star striker Jay Stansfield next season. The 25-year-old scored 11 goals in 23 Bundesliga starts in 2024/25, highlighting what an exciting signing he could be.
Birmingham reach agreement with star winger
Now, according to Jacobs on X, Birmingham have “reached an agreement” with Al-Ettifaq over the signing of Demarai Gray from the Saudi Pro League club on a free transfer.
This feels like such a positive signing for Birmingham, assuming the move goes through, not least because they are Gray’s boyhood club, with the 28-year-old making 78 appearances there at the start of his senior career.
Since then, the winger has gone on to enjoy an excellent career, appearing 200 times in the Premier League and even winning the title with Leicester City in 2015/16, in what remains one of the greatest achievements in English football history.
At 28, this isn’t the Blues signing a player who is past his best either, with the Jamaica international still having lots to offer in his career, and he will surely be desperate to prove his worth at his former club.
Gray has so much natural ability out wide, with Ian Wright once even lauding him as “world-class” during his Everton days, following a memorable goal against Nottingham Forest back in 2022.
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It will be fascinating to see how he fares back in English football, following a two-year stint in Saudi Arabia, and if he hits top gear, he will be a potent weapon for Birmingham next season.
