Yahoo News Jordan James clarity and Chris Davies urgency as Birmingham City begin transfer window
The transfer window opens on Friday and Birmingham City can officially add players to Chris Davies' squad for the upcoming League One campaign.
Blues haven't made an addition yet, largely due to the fact that they were without a manager until a week ago, but that process can now speed up. A few players have been linked with the club and there are doubts about some of those already on the books.
The waters seem quite clear where Jordan James is concerned. The eight-goal midfielder had interest in January and Blues will struggle to hang onto him this summer with Atalanta prepared to test those waters again.
James, 19, isn’t likely to spend a season in League One now that he has forced his way into Wales’ starting line-up. An Adam Wharton-esque figure might be pushing it, but there is no reason why Blues cannot command a good fee for James.
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Ethan Laird, Paik Seung-ho, Koji Miyoshi and Juninho Bacuna also have to decide whether they can stomach a season in League One. While there is no doubt Blues have individuals capable of succeeding in the Championship, it would be heartening to see some accept responsibility for relegation and commit to helping the club out of League One.
The same can be said for Krystian Bielik, who has already had a meeting with Davies on his first day at the helm. Bielik is one of the club's most influential players and it would be a major boost to keep him around next season.
Who’s doing the recruitment?
Technical director Craig Gardner is working in tandem with academy technical director Mike Rigg and new boss Davies to identify new players. They have been given the remit to 'build a Championship squad for League One' by chief executive Garry Cook.
In some cases, Blues will have players earning Championship salaries. The vast majority of next season’s opponents will not be able to compete with that.
Blues are now leaning on data more than ever before and will identify and sign players on the strength of their numbers. As manager, Davies will have a big say on the players that eventually walk through the door.
In his first interview, Davies said: "Recruitment is critical for every team and we have quite a few positions to fill. We must do it calmly and clearly, and bring the right characters in, because it’s imperative that who we do bring in fit what we’re trying to create here both on the pitch and with their behaviours off the pitch. There are some skilled people here already that are working hard on that and that will be a big focus in the next few weeks, getting that going."
Has anyone been linked?
The first name linked with Blues this summer was Sheffield Wednesday midfielder George Byers. According to The Star, Blues are among a plethora of League One sides interested in Byers at the end of his contract at Hillsborough.
BirminghamLive understands Blues are among the clubs interested in Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Marc Leonard. Leonard is attracting transfer interest after a stellar League One campaign with Northampton Town, where he scored five goals and recorded six assists. The 22-year-old has spent the last two seasons on loan with the Cobblers from Premier League Brighton and could make a permanent move away now that he has entered the final 12 months of his contract.
Blues are searching for durable footballers this summer and Leonard was virtually ever-present in League One last season. He started all 46 games for 14th-placed Northampton, playing 4,130 of a possible 4,140 minutes.
It is claimed that a fee of £300,000 could be enough to capture Leonard but Blues are not alone in their admiration. Championship sides Sheffield United and Oxford United have been linked with Leonard, as have Blues’ League One rivals Wrexham.
Blues have also been linked with Burnley's 24-year-old playmaker Scott Twine, but he has several options in the Championship - including Bristol City, where he spent last season on loan.
