Birmingham City faced transfer heartache on Wednesday when news emerged that Ogenyi Onazi was refused a work permit and thus could not sign for the club. While Onazi captained Nigeria in their last competitive game and has played many internationals for them, he was hamstrung by Nigeria’s poor FIFA ranking over the past two years.
An opening day defeat to Ipswich left Birmingham City manager Harry Redknapp disappointed with the result – and cursing the paucity of strikers he currently has to choose from. He told Radio WM that “it hadn’t been for lack of trying” that they had not signed a striker, but that he “was not prepared to pay” huge sums for players.
In the aftermath of Birmingham City’s friendly defeat against Swansea, Harry Redknapp spoke of a need to finalise transfers if the squad is to compete for promotion. Birmingham City have added just four players this summer with one of those – Craig Gardner – already on loan previously.
Birmingham City wrapped up the signing of Cheikh N’Doye on Friday, with news first breaking of the potential for the deal only the day before. In a time when rumours are rife and with a manager who is eminently quotable, how are Blues pulling these under the radar deals off?
It’s sixteen days into January and Birmingham City are still winless under Gianfranco Zola. That fact coupled with a lack of action in the transfer market has seemingly amplified the continued grumblings since the Rowett sacking. Is this the winter of our discontent?
The first inklings of what Blues will do in the transfer window were revealed today as news broke that Blues were bidding for Bakary Sako. The 28-year-old Crystal Palace winger is allegedly the subject of a £4million bid – an amount which dwarves anything paid for a player since Nikola Zigic in 2010.
A second defeat in two games for Birmingham City under Gianfranco Zola has magnified pressure on owners Trillion Trophy Asia. With the transfer window opening in a matter of days the onus is now on the Blues board to provide funding to reinvigorate the Blues squad.
