Barely a week has passed since Birmingham City finished their record-breaking League One season and already there are noises over who could be signed to bolster Chris Davies’ ranks.
While Davies is on holiday, director of football Craig Gardner and the club’s recruitment team are hard at work.
Potential recruits are being watched, analysed and in some cases scouted and the phones are being banged. Davies might be taking a break, but his phone won’t be switched off.
The name Che Adams has already been connected to Blues. It would be a fairytale return to St Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park for Adams who undoubtedly still has admirers in the club’s corridors of power.
But Adams is currently enjoying an excellent first season in Serie A with Torino after rejecting Premier League offers to taste life abroad last year and, at the time of writing, BirminghamLive understands the 28-year-old striker doesn’t feature on Blues’ summer wish-list.
Forwards are on Blues’ agenda and Kwame Poku is a target. Blues have a direct line to Peterborough United through ex-manager Barry Fry and compensation will have to be negotiated to avoid a tribunal due to Poku being under the age of 24.
Poku, who registered 20 goal contributions in League One from just 27 appearances last season, is expected to wind up in the Championship next season and Blues aren’t his only suitor.
It is understood that Blues would also like to sign loanees Ben Davies and Kieran Dowell on a permanent basis. Both players have a year remaining on their respective contracts at Rangers and the deals would have to be favourable for Blues to pursue them.
Davies and Dowell are waiting to learn who Rangers’ new manager will be after falling out of favour under previous boss Philippe Clement. It is believed that both players have signalled their interest in joining Blues' project permanently.
Signing two players who already understand Chris Davies’ system and style would save time this summer – and both have already proved they can operate at the top of the Championship at previous clubs.
Davies was a top Championship defender in his Preston days and reached the play-offs with Sheffield United in 2021/22, while Dowell has two promotions to the Premier League on his CV with Norwich City.
Every signing Blues make this summer will be designed to deliver the club’s best second tier season since 2011/12 when they finished fourth.
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