Hwang Hee-Chan signs & Beadle starts: Birmingham City’s sensational new-look rumoured XI for the 2025/26 season
How Birmingham City could line-up in the Championship next season
Birmingham City have shown plenty of intent in the summer transfer window as they prepare for life back in the second-tier of English football. The Blues steamrolled their way to the League One title with a resounding 111 points last term and are now looking to build a team that can do it all again and challenge to win back-to-back promotions.
Chris Davies began the transfer window by adding Phil Neumann to the ranks after a pre-contract agreement with Hannover 96 before following that up with the addition of Demarai Gray in a move which sees the 2016 Premier League winner go full circle to where it all began. Versatile defender Bright Osayi-Samuel also arrived following the expiration of his contract at Fenerbache and was followed through the door by Manchester City academy graduate Tommy Doyle, who joined on a season long loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Kanya Fujimoto has also joined the St Andrew’s club on a free from Gil Vicente in Portugal’s top-flight but perhaps the biggest coup of them all comes in the form of ex-Celtic hero Kyogo Furuhashi in a blockbuster signing from Rennes.
It’s set to spark the start of an exciting new season in the Championship but there’s thought to be plenty more in the pipeline with the prospect of a promotion push on the horizon. With that in mind, we’ve assembled a potential Blues XI for next season while adding in a few rumoured targets.
Goalkeeper and defence
GK: James Beadle: Signed on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion after winning the recent Under-21 European Championship with England. He’ll be expecting regular game time after playing 38 times for Sheffield Wednesday on loan last term. It’s a little harsh on League One Golden Glove winner Ryan Allsop, but is an example of Birmingham’s ambition for the new campaign.
RB: Bright Osayi-Samuel: Another summer addition, Bright Oyasi-Samuel is expected to feature heavily across the season after featuring 25 times for Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce last term.
CB: Christoph Klarer: Last term’s Player of the Season Christoph Klarer looked a level above most opposition attackers in League One last season and deserves to keep his place in the heart of defence.
CB: Phil Neumann: Signed from the second tier of German football, Phil Neumann is expected to be a regular fixture in Birmingham’s defence after arriving from Hannover 96 where he’d established himself as one of the best in Germany’s second tier.
LB: Alex Cochrane: The former Hearts man was incredibly consistent throughout the course of last season and played the second most minutes of any player in the first team squad. He’ll hope to maintain his starting spot next term after an excellent debut campaign.
Midfield and attack
CM: Tomoki Iwata: Japanese midfielder Tomoki Iwata was the heartbeat of the team last term with tireless energy and a habit of occasionally producing the spectacular from long distance. He was another standout performer with a point to prove in the second tier.
CM: Tommy Doyle: Wolves midfielder Tommy Doyle is a player with experience of winning promotion with Sheffield United and an excellent track record in the division. He’s capable of dictating the game in the middle of the park and is expected to play a crucial role in the team’s promotion charge.
RM: Demari Gray: Former Leicester City and Everton winger Demari Gray offers a wealth of experience to Birmingham’s attack and is likely to be a key source of creativity this year. He showed plenty of promise in his first spell and will be keen to show his hometown club just how far he has progressed since then.
LM: Hwang Hee-Chan (signing): Birmingham World understands that the Blues are considering a shock move for Wolverhampton ace Hwang Hee-Chan. The South Korean has scored 24 and provided nine assists in 119 appearances across all competitions for Wolves, including 12 in the 2023/24 campaign but has struggled for regular minutes in recent months. He cost the club £14m back in 2022 but could be on the market for significantly less this summer after dropping down the pecking order at Molineux.
ST: Jay Stansfield: Youngster Jay Stansfield showed signs that he was capable of living up to the £15m price tag after scoring 19 goals in League One last term. He’s recently played a part in England's Euro Under-21 triumph and will hope to continue his trajectory in the Championship next term.
ST: Kyogo Furuhuashi: Birmingham City have arguably one of the most formidable frontlines in the league after completing the signing of former Celtic bagsman Kyogo Furuhuashi. The striker scored 85 times in 165 appearances at Parkhead including three in the Champions League with one of those coming as recently as last season.