Birmingham City defender on deadline day move despite penning multi-year deal

Cheltenham Town are poised to sign Josh Williams on loan from Birmingham City, according to reports.

GloucestershireLive’s Cheltenham Town reporter Jon Palmer, has revealed that Williams is to join the Robins for the 2023/24 season.

Williams was given a new three-year contract this summer, having signed his first professional deal at the club in 2021. He has fallen down the pecking order however with the arrival of Dion Sanderson, and the signing of Cody Drameh, has meant that a loan has been deemed the best move for his development.

The 20-year-old has made seven first team appearances to date for Blues, with his last coming against Coventry City in September 2022. He was amongst the substitutes earlier this season against Leeds United, but has not featured in any of John Eustace's match-day squads since.

A move to Whaddon Road will represent the first time that WIlliams has left the club, having remained at St Andrew's, rather than going out on loan anywhere else. He has been at the club since eight-years-old, and was part of the Blues under-23's side that won the national Professional Development League final.

Fortunately for Williams, Cheltenham's manager is Wade Elliott, who was once at Birmingham as a player. The 44-year-old spent two-and-a-half-seasons at Birmingham, making 105 appearances and scoring 14 goals, and featured for the club during their 2011/12 Europa League campaign.

Cheltenham are however bottom of League One, and have yet to win a game this season, having picked up just one point from a possible 15. Should Williams' move be finalised before 12.00 pm, then he could make his debut against Barnsley tomorrow, and against one of his former teammates.

BirminghamWorld reported earlier today that Barnsley had been interested in Sam Cosgrove, and should a deal be struck then the two currently contracted Blues players could line up against one another, having been teammates this pre-season.