Birmingham City make intriguing decision on summer signing after £25m spending spree concludes
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Birmingham City have adapted well to life in League One since their relegation from the Championship. They are currently eyeing an immediate return to the second tier.
The Blues are sat top of the table above Wycombe Wanderers and Wrexham. They won 2-1 at home to Rotherham United last time out and came back from 1-0 down.
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Hide AdChris Davies’ side are back in action in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday night with an away trip to Stevenage. They then lock horns with Newcastle United at home in the FA Cup fourth round this weekend.
Birmingham City sanction Ayumu Yokoyama exit
Birmingham City have let attacker Ayumu Yokoyama join Genk on loan. He has been given the green light to head out the exit door on a temporary basis to get some more game time.
The 21-year-old, who is a former Japan youth international, will spend the rest of the season in Belgium. He is due to return to St Andrews in the summer and the Blues will have a decision to make on what to do with him next.
Yokoyama was snapped up by the Midlands outfit last summer to add more competition and depth to their attacking ranks. He has since made 19 appearances in all competitions, 10 of which have come in the league, and he has chipped in with four goals. The winger hasn’t been able to nail down a regular place in the team under Davies. Therefore, his temporary switch to Genk is a chance for him to get some minutes to boost his development.
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Prior to his move to Birmingham, Yokoyama caught the eye playing for Sagan Tosu in the J1 League. He scored seven goals in 45 matches.
He started out at FC Tucano and Tokai Univ. Takanawadai High School. He then linked up with Matsumoto Yamaga as a youngster and broke into their first-team as a teenager. The Blues will now keep tabs to see how he does at Genk. In the meantime, their focus will also shift onto their upcoming matches as they look to keep their momentum going.
Speaking after their victory over Rotherham, Davies said: “I said to the players at half-time that this is about how you respond to adversity now. It was important to stay calm and recognise that we’d been the better team. It was a test we don’t always have, especially at home and I said to them (the players) that it’s something we must remember and use in the future because there’s going to be games where you aren’t always going to get into the lead.
“That was the big plus for me, the response to adversity. We probably could have played a bit quicker and with a bit more urgency in the first half. Outside of that I liked our positions, we tried to find the right spaces and attack the right spaces, and we are good in the first half. But staying calm is very important. That’s sport, that’s football, you’re going to have ups and downs and setbacks. And it’s important to stay emotionally calm and clear headed and focused on what you need to do.”
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