Inside track on new Birmingham City signing Reda Khadra and why it didn’t work out at Sheffield United

Birmingham City made Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Reda Khadra their second signing of the January transfer window on Tuesday, as the German’s spell at Sheffield United was cut short. The 21-year-old, who came through the youth system at Borussia Dortmund before heading to Brighton in 2020, has joined Blues on loan until the end of the current season.

Things did not quite work out for Khadra at Bramall Lane as he scored just one goal in 15 appearances across all competitions, but he has performed far better in the past. On loan with Blackburn Rovers last campaign, Khadra contributed four goals and three assists in 27 Championship fixtures while causing problems for defences with his quick feet.

Able to play in midfield, on either flank and even as a shadow striker, Khadra should be able to offer John Eustace some much-needed depth and versatility. The Birmingham head coach has been very vocal about the struggles he has faced with injuries, so another new addition should only bring positives.

To find out a little more about Khadra and what he can offer Blues, as well as why things perhaps did not work out for him at Sheffield United, BirminghamWorld spoke to Chris Holt from The Sheffield Star.

What was Reda Khadra’s situation at Sheffield United toward the end?

Simply put, it looked as though his days were numbered. It appears as though Khadra had made it clear that he would prefer to leave United if he was not going to be playing a lot more regularly than he has been and Paul Heckingbottom hinted that Brighton were on the same page as far as that’s concerned.

What was Khadra’s lack of game time down to?

While no one at United will say it explicitly, there was a genuine fear that they could lose Sander Berge in the summer so when Khadra became available they jumped at the chance to bring him in on loan. Berge never left, though, and suddenly Khadra was down the pecking order and he became a bit of a part player from the start. There were some exciting signs early on when coming off the bench that he might be able to force his way in but when the starts came around he never really grasped the opportunity.

What kind of player is Khadra from what you’ve seen? Does he have the potential to be a ‘maverick’ or a talisman?

When he’s on it, he’s a hugely exciting player who can get supporters off their seats with his skill and the way he runs at defences. A ‘maverick’ would probably be a decent description. You wouldn’t expect him to be doing a lot of defensive work but if you can surround him with players like that then he could thrive in most teams in the Championship. 

Birmingham City play a similar formation to Sheffield United, a 3-5-2, is the formation another reason why he hasn’t been able to get in? Where did he fit in at SUFC?

I think he could play as a 10 or on either side of a front three, however if Birmingham City are going to put an attacking midfielder in the hole behind the front two then he would do well in there. He needs something of a free reign to drift into gaps on the pitch and, again, if you have players around him doing the dirty stuff then he’s capable of giving a team that spark.

Nigel Pearson described Khadra as ‘high maintenance’ and a ‘bit of a character’ but is he actually like that?

He doesn’t appear to be so. There certainly doesn’t appear to have been any major fall-out with anyone at United and it’s probably only natural that he should ask the manager if he’s going to get playing and if not can he move on? I think the way he plays gives the impression of someone who might be hard work, but I think that would be unfair to suggest.