Darling, Diangana and other Championship stars Birmingham City can sign for free
Birmingham City can cherry-pick the best Championship freebies for their first season back in the second tier
A plethora of Championship players will imminently become available for Birmingham City to sign at the end of their contracts.
Blues will have money to spend again this summer, but their acquisition of German centre-back Phil Neumann shows they won’t always break the bank when smart signings are available for nothing.
It wouldn’t be a surprise if Blues continued to prioritise signings from overseas after the successes of Paik Seung-ho and Christoph Klarer, and there is rarely value-for-money when dealing domestically.
Unless you don’t have to spend a penny, of course, to sign a player proven at Championship level. Here are some worth keeping an eye on this summer as Blues prepare their squad for what they hope will be a promotion push…
If your ambitions are high…
The first two players on this list probably aren’t realistic for clubs plying their trade in next season’s Championship.
Josh Brownhill has led Burnley to the Premier League with 18 goals and six assists and there is talk of a free transfer to rival top flight clubs.
Brownhill isn’t likely to make a return to the second tier and the same can be said for Leeds United left-back Junior Firpo. Firpo scored four goals and provided 10 assists in 32 games for the Championship champions but a contract hasn’t been forthcoming yet.
Firpo’s injury record counts against him and he will turn 29 in August, but he is among the very best full-backs the Championship has to offer.
In the realistic bracket
Tyrhys Dolan is the type of rapid winger Blues could use next season and he looks set to leave Blackburn Rovers after his best season at Ewood Park. Dolan provided 13 goal contributions in the Championship season just gone and has a good availability record over the past five seasons. Still 23, Dolan won’t come free this summer but his suitors won’t have to pay the full whack.
Grady Diangana has attributes that will appeal to Blues in their search for more bite up front. You won’t get many players who have been transferred for £18m on the market for free this summer and Diangana is still only 27. He is very capable in the Championship and has posted good numbers for West Bromwich Albion in recent years.
Talking of players who have been transferred for big money, Rhian Brewster cost Sheffield United more than £20m five years ago. The 25-year-old has finally started to show his potential for the Blades this season and could help them return to the Premier League at the first attempt.
Former Blues starlet Nathan Redmond is a more experienced wide option at 31 but, in a world where availability is the best ability, two injury-hit seasons at Burnley do count against him.
Danish centre-forward Emil Riis has left Preston North End after 12 goals in 45 games last season. That’s his second best scoring season in the Championship after he netted 16 goals in the 2021/22 campaign. With a good goal record and a 6ft 3in frame, Riis will have plenty of suitors.
There are a couple of proven Championship goalkeepers available for free in Freddie Woodman, who is leaving Preston, and Angus Gunn. Gunn has kept goal for Norwich City in the past three seasons and cost Southampton £13m once upon a time.
Centre-back Harry Darling has already been linked with Blues and appears to be on the way out of Swansea City. Virtually an ever-present in the past two seasons, chips in with the odd goal – there’s a lot to like about Darling.