Birmingham City’s new starting XI if the transfer rumours are true - including shock £28.2m double swoop

Birmingham have made a very strong start to the new season after spending over £20million in the summer, meeting expectations at the top end of the League One standings.

Chris Davies’ men have lost just two of their 17 league outings so far, winning 12 and drawing the other three. In third place and just one point behind Wrexham and Wycombe Wanderers with games in hand on both, Blues are in a strong position to seal promotion back to the Championship at the first time of asking.

It’s not going to be easy to seal a top-two finish, though, and every member of the new-look squad will need to be utilised throughout this season. More fresh faces could be brought in this winter to ensure Blues are promoted and are future-proofed for many years to come.

With the next transfer window now just a few weeks away, transfer speculation is ramping up once again. The list of players linked with Birmingham is in turn growing so that’s made us here at BirminghamWorld wonder, how could Davies’ starting XI look if the rumours come true?

Birmingham City’s potential new XI after January transfers

Ryan Allsop: The boyhood Bluenose was patient at the beginning of the season to wait for his chance and he’s done so, moving ahead of Bailey Peacock-Farrell in the goalkeeping pecking order. His passion for the football club is clear as day.

Krystian Bielik: Blues’ new captain has been a rock at the back this season and he was dearly missed during his injury absence. Bielik is without doubt the core of this team for the long-term and he’s bound to remain the skipper for as long as he’s at the football club.

Phil Neumann: Football Insider reports Blues are readying a new bid for Neumann after seeing a £3.4million offer rejected in the summer. The German, currently challenging for the Bundesliga 2 title with Hannover 96, is tall and physical yet very speedy.

Christoph Klarer: The summer signing has been an excellent addition to the football club. Klarer looks well worth the £2.5million paid as he’s a proper no-nonsense defender who shares the club’s determination to be promoted to the Championship at all costs.

Alex Cochrane: Nobody is shifting the Brighton & Hove Albion academy product out of the side after his terrific start to his Blues career, not even Lee Buchanan following his recent return from injury. Cochrane can defend well and he’s one of the best crossers in the squad.

Tomoki Iwata: The Japan international has been a better signing than anyone could’ve expected, so much so that he’s knocked Marc Leonard down to the bench for the foreseeable. Iwata is a great passer of the ball and he’s already scored several goals from outside the box.

Paik Seung-ho: A perfect counterpart for Iwata, the South Korean recently signed a contract extension to keep him at St Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park until June 2028. This could be a midfield partnership all the way up to the Premier League if Blues’ progression continues at the current rate.

Chris Rigg: Blues are targeting an audacious swoop for Sunderland’s wonderkid, reports journalist Alan Nixon via his Patreon. Reportedly valued at €30million (£24.8m), the League One transfer record would need to be broken again - so it would be very surprising if he did join Birmingham.

Willum Willumsson: ‘Thor’ has settled in excellently since joining from Go Ahead Eagles for a £2.5million fee. The 26-year-old, predominantly a right-sided attacking midfielder so far, has missed just one League One game so far, contributing four goals and four assists.

Jay Stansfield: Levels above League One, Stansfield is living up to his hefty price tag and he will be a key player throughout Birmingham’s long-term project. The only conjecture is his best position, something manager Davies is still trying to ascertain.

Alfie May: Last season’s top scorer in the English third tier has carried on his fine work, scoring seven goals and making four assists in 17 League One matches this term. May is still getting used to the odd benching but that’s to be expected with so much talent and depth in the squad.