Birmingham City told to make 'shining light' free agent first summer signing as Blues chase monster defender
Birmingham City are hoping to bolster their squad after winning promotion to the Championship
Birmingham City have been told to make Swansea City centre back Harry Darling one of their first summer signings.
The Blues steamrolled their way to the League One title with a staggering 111 points from 46 matches - a new Football League record - and are expected to spend big this summer as they aim to assemble a group of players that can compete in the upper echelons of the Championship table following their promotion.
Darling has three years of experience at Championship level since moving to the Swans from then third-tier side MK Dons back in 2022. He’s racked up a combined total of 112 appearances for the Welsh side in three years but faces an uncertain future at the Swansea.com stadium as he approaches the final weeks of his contract.
Lee Hendrie urges Birmingham City to sign Harry Darling
Former Aston Villa and Sheffield United midfielder Lee Hendrie believes Harry Darling would be a shrewd addition for Birmingham City this summer.
The one-time England international, who now works as a regular EFL pundit for Sky Sports told Football League World: “Birmingham and Wrexham are eyeing a move for Harry Darling from Swansea, who I think has been very, very good in a Swansea shirt. Swansea have had a real tough time over a few seasons, but he has been one of their shining lights, really.
“To be quite honest, he could fit in either of those teams, Birmingham or Wrexham. Obviously they are two teams that are going to be striving to be around the play-offs and a promotion push. He would be a great addition for both teams, I would feel, due to his physical presence and him having Championship experience.”
What does the future hold for Harry Darling?
Swansea City defender Harry Darling has proven he is more than adept at Championship level over the course of three seasons due to his great passing ability, defensive awareness and his ability to pop up with crucial goals for his team.
He scored five goals in 39 appearances this season from defence and is attracting interest from the Blues after a stellar campaign, according to journalist Alan Nixon.
Blues reportedly hope to offer "top terms" to the 25-year-old to convince him to join their project, but fellow Championship new-boys Wrexham are said to be planning to match them financially, in an alternative offer which means he wouldn’t have to relocate as far as he would if he moved to the West Midlands.
Swansea's director of football Richard Montague revealed earlier this month that they had offered him a new, improved deal to convince him to continue his footballing journey in South Wales.
He told Wales Online: "We've made another offer to Harry. We believe it's a strong offer. Harry's in a privileged position where there's an opportunity now to have a look around and really decide what's best for him and his family.
"But we believe we've put our best foot forward. Alan and I had him in the office for about an hour earlier trying to persuade him as to why Swansea is the right place for him to continue his career. We really believe it is. We're hopeful of a positive outcome, but we recognise there are a lot of clubs that can offer a lot of things, and Harry needs to do what's right for him and his family. We're doing everything we can to make it a positive outcome for us."
Ultimately, the ball is very much in Darling’s court and the in-demand defender now faces a key decision on which project he believes is best for his long-term future.