New Delhi: Manchester City are one of the richest clubs in the world having been backed by UAE Vice President and Deputy Prime Minister, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed. The current Premier League holders are synonymous with making the most of a transfer window and spending huge amounts of money on players. Players like Jack Grealish, Erling Haaland, Riyad Mahrez, Rodri, and Josko Gvardiol are just a handful of names on whom the club have spent upwards of £50 million but they have been outspent by a side in the third tier of English football in the window just gone by.
Birmingham City, who were relegated to the EFL League one from the Championship at the end of last season, have had one of the busiest transfer windows in England being involved in 31 transfers. The club saw a whopping 18 players join the club while 13 players left in a very busy summer that saw them break the League one transfer record thrice. The Birmingham-based club spent around £25 million in the transfer window, which is a record for the level they compete in.
The club had a bright start to the 2023/24 when they went through a major takeover when asset management company Knighthead Capital Management completed the takeover from the club’s previous owner and gained control of the club’s operating activities. Former NFL star and seven time superbowl winner Tom Brady joined as a minority owner which got the club a lot of media attention and things seemed to be going in the right direction.
Birmingham’s horror 2023/24 season
Wayne Rooney interacts with Dion Sanderson during the Sky Bet Championship match between Cardiff City and Birmingham City at Cardiff City Stadium on December 13, 2023 in Cardiff, Wales. (Photo by Harry Trump/Getty Images)
The season started with a wave of positivity around the club, with the Blues unbeaten in the first five games of the season. However, things quickly turned sour for them following the departure of manager John Eustace and that began a managerial roulette at the club which saw a total of six managers take charge of the club at various points in the season for multiple reasons.
Eustace was sacked with the club sitting in sixth position and in hindsight, that seems like a horrible decision now. He was replaced by Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney but after an abysmal record of nine losses in 15 games and just two wins saw him out the door as well. Steve Spooner stepped in to take charge of a game before Tony Mowbray was appointed as the manager.
However, he had to step back within a month of his appointment due to health issues and his assistant, Mark Venus took charge in place of him. In March, both Mowbray and Venus were given medical leave by the club and former manager Gary Rowett was called upon to guide them to safety but 11 points in the last eight games weren’t enough to save the club from relegation. They finished a point behind Plymouth Argyle to banish them to EFL League one after 29 years in the first two divisions.
Unreal transfer activity
New signing Jay Stansfield is introduced to the fans during the Sky Bet League One match between Birmingham City FC and Wigan Athletic FC at St Andrew’s@Knighthead Park on August 31, 2024 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images)
Following their relegation to the EFL League one, the club seem determined to ensure that their stay in the third tier of English football is as short as possible. The club spent around £25 million in the window and this figure could increase further if you include the add-ons. While this figure seems like pennies when you look at the transfer fees being spent in Europe’s big leagues, it is a fortune for the third division. For comparison, all other 23 teams combined spent £7.2 million in the window.
What makes this outlay even more impressive is not just the financial muscle that the club has shown but the quality of players they brought in. The first ones in the door were Burnley keeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell, who kept 11 clean sheets in 28 games last season for Danish side Aarhus GF, and Hull City keeper Ryan Allsop, who kept 10 clean sheets in the championship last season. Exciting Japanese talent Ayumu Yokoyama also joined the club for J-League while Brighton’s youngster Marc Leonard, who spent last season on in the division and contributed to 11 goals from midfield, joined the club as well.
Birmingham City have had one hell of a transfer window.
Is this the beginning of a reawakening of a giant?
Broken their transfer record on Jay Stansfield
A total of 17 transfers in
Broken the League 1 transfer record on 3 separate occasions
Banker to go up.#BCFC pic.twitter.com/klYsbOOI7u
— 101 Great Goals (@101greatgoals) September 2, 2024
Their main piece of business came when they addressed the team’s attack, bringing in multiple players to address the attack. The club brought in Scottish striker Lyndon Dykes from QPR and last season’s League one top-scorer Alfie May, who has already scored four goals in seven games for the club. However, the club’s marquee signing of the window came on the transfer deadline day when the club announced the capture of Fulham’s Jay Stansfield in a deal worth upwards of £10 million on a seven-year deal, shattering the League one transfer record.
The English striker spent last season on loan at the club and despite the Blues finishing 22nd in the Championship, Stansfield scored 13 goals for the club all season. This surreal form for the club prompted them to sign the striker permanently and he’s already gotten off the mark for the season. After a complete overhaul in the summer window, the club have set their sights on returning to the Championship at the first time of asking and seem to be aiming for the Premier League. Kieran McKenna was in the same position two years back and he’s now a Premier League manager. Can new Birmingham manager Chris Davies repeat McKenna’s heroics with another team in blue?
An English third tier club have maximized the 2024 summer transfer window as they spent more money than Manchester City did, despite playing two levels below the English champions. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
