Birmingham City's spending has 'inflated the market' as rival boss delivers honest verdict

Birmingham City's spending has 'inflated the market' but promotion rival Nathan Jones admits that's just life as he focuses on the task in hand.

Blues are the talk of League One following their summer spending spree which saw them sign Jay Stansfield for a reported £15m, which could rise to £20m should add-ons be met. Stansfield became Birmingham's club record signing, and his arrival smashed the previous record held when Sunderland bought Will Grigg for a deal worth £4m.

TransferMarkt reported that Birmingham broke that three times in fact with Christoph Klarer and Willum Willumsson both arriving this summer for a reported £7m, however BirminghamLive believes that those fees are lower. The rest of the division haven’t been able to spend as much as Birmingham have, but Charlton Athletic who are just below Birmingham in the table, have no real complaints about their spending.

“I think that was the third time they smashed the division record," said Jones to the South London Press.

“It would be remiss of me to complain or anything – because we’re probably in a better position and spent more than a lot of others.

“It’s just the way of the world. I’m not sure Brentford are harping on about the amount that Manchester City and Manchester United spend in that division – and it is exactly the same in the Championship. It is the way of the world.

“Spending has slightly inflated the market. It is a more difficult market, in terms of people looking for different levels because certain ones were able to pay it – so they felt that was the norm.

“All it does is add some variation to the league. If we had £20million to spend I might not have spent it all – but I’d definitely have had a go."

Charlton themselves spent a bit of money this summer, recruiting Gassan Ahadme for an undisclosed fee from Ipswich Town. The Addicks were also able to persuade Luke Berry to join them having been in the Premier League with Luton Town last season.

The closest Charlton have been to the promotion picture in League One was when they finished seventh in 2021, but since then they've recorded just one top-half finish, and finished a lowly 16th last season.

Jones, who helped put the foundations in place for Luton to go from League Two to the Premier League, has praised the Charlton board for supporting him through different ways, if they have been unable to help him in the transfer market.

Birmingham’s spending does put them at an advantage against clubs who don’t have the same level of resources, but that’s just down to Knighthead having ambitious plans for the club. The task for Birmingham is to win promotion, and then potentially emulate what Ipswich Town did, which is win a second successive promotion.

“I’m not sure if it is bad, good or whatever,” Jones responded when asked if it Birmingham’s spending good for League One

“All you have to do is make sure you cut your cloth accordingly and spend your budget as wisely as you can – then you can be as competitive as you possibly can.

“What we have asked here, and the owners have been magnificent, is if we can’t go out and spend £50m on a centre-forward then I’ve asked them to strengthen the environment and certain things – pitches, recovery strategies and players that I know. Then we are collectively stronger.

“That is what we have tried to do and the owners have backed me magnificently.

“Birmingham are Birmingham – we have to concentrate on us.”