Birmingham City issued 'money' warning by ex-Blues man now at League One rivals

Chuks Aneke has warned his former club Birmingham City that 'money doesn't ensure success' as he looks to challenge them for promotion with Charlton Athletic.

The 31-year-old was a Blues player for six months after joining from Charlton in the summer of 2021. He linked up with former Charlton boss Lee Bowyer, and during his time in the Midlands, he scored two goals in 21 games.

He is now with Charlton Athletic, who like Birmingham hold ambitions of winning promotion to the Championship. Charlton drew with Rotherham United over the international break, but sit fifth having won against Wigan Athletic, Leyton Orient, and Bolton Wanderers.

Birmingham, are currently above them in fourth, but are the favourites following their summer spree in the transfer market. The reported £15m signing of Jay Stansfield fronted their business, which absolutely smashed the previous transfer record for the division. Aneke praised Birmingham, but issued them a warning from his own experiences that money doesn’t always equate to success.

“They are a big club and desperate to get back up to the Champ and beyond,” said Aneke to the South London Press.

“Fair play to them – they are putting their money where their mouth is.

“We’ll see what happens. I’ve played many League One seasons and money doesn’t always ensure success. Let’s see what they do – they’ve got some good players for the level.

“Let’s see if they can put it all together and produce.”

The Addicks are in their fifth consecutive season of League One after being relegated in the 2019/20 season. Aneke has been with in the third tier for three-and-a-half of them, having departed St St Andrew's in the 2022 winter transfer window.

He's seen various teams get promoted over the years, whilst Charlton have recorded finishes of seventh, 13th, 10th, and 16th, and believes that this season is stronger than last term. Portsmouth, Derby County, and Oxford United won promotion last season, with neither Blackpool, Reading, or Wigan Athletic bouncing back from their relegation.

Offering his opinion on the division, he said: “On paper it definitely looks tougher – Birmingham, Wrexham and Huddersfield. There are some teams that have recently played their football at higher echelons and a lot of money behind them.

“Money doesn’t ensure success. We’re in League One now and it’s about maintaining winning games.”