Birmingham City's League One rivals seal sudden double out-of-window transfer swoop

Phil Parkinson’s side have completed the short-team acquisitions of Jón Daði Böðvarsson and Matty James to bolster their squad depth following several injury blows.

Böðvarsson, a former Iceland international of 64 appearances, most recently played for Bolton Wanderers but he’s also turned out for Reading, Millwall and Wolverhampton Wanderers. The striker boasts 164 career appearances in the Championship, as well as 78 in League One.

James, meanwhile, has been without a club since leaving Bristol City as a free agent in July. The 33-year-old, a Manchester United academy graduate, has never dropped as low as League One. James has featured a whopping 247 times in the Championship and he’s made 42 Premier League appearances.

Wrexham have made good use of the free agents market, dipping their toes in to acquire the services of two experienced and fairly versatile players. The pair have only signed very short-team deals, however, keeping them at The Racecourse until just January 2025.

Reacting to getting his new additions over the line, manager Parkinson said: “I’d like to welcome Jón and Matty to the Club. With injuries to George Evans, Jack Marriott and Steven Fletcher, it was important to bring them in, and we look forward to working with the two of them.”

As it stands, Wrexham are Birmingham’s closest challengers for the League One title. The Red Dragons, on 24 points, are four drift after 12 games played, but they have of course played an extra fixture. If Blues win their eventual game in hand, they will move seven points clear at the summit.