Birmingham City in contract ‘negotiations’ as former West Brom man makes admission

Birmingham City finished 17th in this past campaign in the Championship. The Blues will be looking to bolster their ranks this summer as they prepare for John Eustace’s second season at the helm.

West Brom finished just outside the play-offs and will be aiming for the top six again next year. Here is a look at some of the latest transfer news and rumours regarding the Midlands pair...

Pair still in talks?

Birmingham may still be talking to Maxime Colin and Troy Deeney about potentially extending their deals. Both are out of contract at the end of next month and were on their list of players who will be released following the end of the season, with the latter believed to be keen on heading into coaching now.

However, reporter Alex Dicken of Birmingham Live hasn’t ruled out the possibility of the pair staying put and has said: “I think it’s both of our understanding that the most likely two would be Colin and Deeney. However, as they were both included on the released list, it looks as though negotiations are not at an advanced stage.”

Boss still keeps an eye on West Brom

Former West Brom boss Valerien Ismael has admitted he still keeps an eye out for the Baggies’ results. He has been appointed as the new manager of Watford and will be returning to the Hawthorns next term with the Hornets.

He has said, as per the Express and Star: “The experiences were brilliant. I always look for Barnsley’s results, and for West Brom’s. I had a strong relationship with the players there. I stayed in touch with some players and this is a great feeling. It doesn’t mean that all 25 players always supported me but with the big, big majority we worked well together.”

Prior to joining West Brom, Ismael had guided Barnsley to the play-offs in the second tier against the odds but they were beaten over two legs by Swansea City. He has also managed the likes of Nurnberg, Wolfsburg, LASK and Besiktas in the past,