'I wonder' - verdict on whether Birmingham City can sign ex-Celtic gem given amid playing style concerns
Birmingham City have experienced a mixed start to the 2025/26 season
Don Goodman says he is currently unsure whether Birmingham City’s style of play suits Patrick Roberts as he shares his take on whether or not the Blues should sign the 28-year-old on a permanent basis next summer.
Roberts left Sunderland on transfer deadline day to move to the West Midlands on a season-long loan deal. He was one of two names under consideration along with Celtic’s Yang Hyun-Jun, but in the end Chris Davies chose the Black Cats winger as he felt it was an easier deal to negotiate at the time while the boss also saw him as equally as talented a player.
Former Manchester City winger Roberts helped Sunderland achieve promotion via the play-offs last term, and even featured as a substitute for the North East club in the top-flight this season during a 2-0 defeat to Burnley before relocating to Birmingham. At the time of his transfer, he said: “I’m a winner. And this is a place, and a club, that wants to strive to get to the top. And off the back of last season, where I did that (winning promotion), I can see there’s potential here to have a good season.
“It didn’t take much convincing. It’s a big club, and getting back to where Birmingham should be is an aim. Doing what the club did last season is no small feat. It’s a hard league, I’ve played in it myself, so to go and get the points record is something special. To join now is exciting, there’s a lot of momentum, and it’s a huge club.”
Birmingham have ambitions of achieving promotion with Roberts in their squad, and Alan Shearer believes they have the credentials to achieve that goal. However, at this stage it’s clear that big improvements are still required.
Don Goodman discusses Patrick Roberts start to life at Birmingham City
Patrick Roberts has scored and assisted once in five Championship games since joining Birmingham City. He’s started three of those games and has appeared as a substitute twice. However, he’s yet to hit best levels and has seen the team win once, draw twice and lose twice, in a challenging start since joining.
Don Goodman, who played for West Brom and Wolves, admits he has been disappointed with the Blues as an attacking force after a big summer of spending and has shared his qualms about Roberts’ suitability to Birmingham’s play style.
“I think a lot of us have been a little bit surprised about the lack of creativity that Birmingham City have shown in the opening nine games, really,” Goodman told Football League World: “So it was a good move to bring Patrick Roberts in. He’s not really noted for his goal scoring, but he certainly does create opportunities, so I guess the answer to should they explore a permanent deal would depend on a variety of things.
“I look at the way Birmingham play and the way Sunderland played last season, two very different styles. Birmingham [are] very possession-heavy, Sunderland happy to let the opponent have the ball and spring pretty quickly. I wonder whether that would be more to Patrick Roberts’ [style], get the best out of him.”
Do Birmingham City have an option to buy Patrick Roberts?
Birmingham City signed Patrick Roberts on a straight loan-deal which gives them no option or obligation to buy the player at the end of his contract.However, he seems to be now surplus to requirements at Sunderland, particularly if they are to avoid relegation after a stellar start to life in the top-flight.
Don Goodman feels any deal for Roberts is likely to be based on what Sunderland charge, and also how the player gets on in the Championship this season. He added: "There's no doubt that there’s a talent there, so ultimately it would come down to what the deal would cost.”
Sunderland signed Roberts on a free transfer and his existing deal only runs until 2026, although there is an option for a one-year extension. If this isn’t activated Birmingham could sign the footballer on a free anyway but would then need to assess his wage demands.