Rating every player Birmingham City signed this season - including perfect 10/10 star and 9/10 Rangers man

Birmingham City recently concluded an extraordinary first season under manager Chris Davies, reaching 111 points to demolish the world record in a 46-game season.

Blues were always expected to win the League One title and return to the Championship at the first time of asking given their unprecedented summer spending, but it was still a challenge to get the recruitment right and help a very new squad gel together right away.

Davies did a truly brilliant job to guide Birmingham to the title, especially as it was his first season as a manager of any club. Blues were relentless all campaign long and balanced the League One schedule with runs in the Vertu Trophy and FA Cup.

Much of the success came as a result of the whopping 20 signings brought in throughout the season, many of whom joined last summer. Some were massive hits but others didn’t quite work out as hoped. In an overview of how they all got on, Birmingham World has rated all 20 additions out of 10 and explained why. Here’s a full run-through.

Permanent goalkeepers & defenders

Bailey Peacock-Farrell 4/10: It’s really not worked out as well as the Northern Irishman would’ve hoped as he was signed as a competitor for the first-choice goalkeeper spot but has since fallen to a backup role. Peacock-Farrell made so many mistakes at the start of the year and has to go down as a failed signing, as harsh as that is.

Ryan Allsop 8/10: A much better goalkeeping addition, Allsop had to wait for his opportunity initially but has since burst into life. Despite only playing 38 League One games out of 46, Allsop claimed the Golden Glove with 21 clean sheets.

Alex Cochrane 8/10: A bargain signing from Hearts for less than £1 million, Cochrane has been brilliant this season. With Lee Buchanan out for much of the campaign due to several injury problems, Cochrane had to make the left-back spot his own throughout congested months. He did superbly, racking up 54 appearances across all competitions.

Christoph Klarer 10/10: Birmingham World rarely hands out a perfect score in any capacity - whether it be match ratings or transfer analysis - but Klarer is deserving. The Austrian claimed both Player of the Season awards, and for good reason, as he’s been an absolute rock at the back for Blues. £3 million feels like an absolute snip.

Grant Hanley 6/10: Signed in January as a backup in case injuries took hold during busy periods, Hanley has been a model professional. The Scotland international has only started three times in League One for Blues but impressed when he did, especially against Burton Albion and Stevenage.

Permanent midfielders

Marc Leonard 7/10: He’s not played as often as he would’ve liked after being virtually ever-present for Northampton Town for two successive seasons, but Leonard has still impressed when called upon. There’s more to come from the 23-year-old, though the competition for places is fierce.

Tomoki Iwata 9/10: Pivotal to Blues’ success this season, Iwata has been the best midfielder in the squad. Signed from Celtic for less than £1 million, the Japan international scored eight goals in 47 games across all competitions, including some absolute piledrivers from range.

Willum Willumsson 6/10: The Icelander came into form at the end of the campaign but it has to be said that his price tag - in excess of £3 million - hasn’t been realised. Willumsson’s time may yet come in a Blues shirt, but the jury’s still out on that front.

Permanent forwards

Scott Wright 5/10: Plagued by injuries, Wright hasn’t been able to get into a proper groove since joining from Rangers for around £400,000. The winger scored a couple of important goals - including a last-minute winner against Wigan Athletic - but he only managed to accumulate 888 minutes.

Ayumu Yokoyama 6/10: Signed with the future in mind rather than the present, Yokoyama has been alright so far. The agile winger scored three goals in the Vertu Trophy and one in the FA Cup before being loaned to Jong Genk in the Belgian second tier.

Emil Hansson 5/10: There was plenty of hype when Hansson joined, as he was meant to be Blues’ starting left winger for years to come. The Swede hasn’t hit the ground running, however, with just 1,101 minutes played in all competitions. He’s played second fiddle to Keshi Anderson in the past few months.

Alfie May 7/10: The reigning League One Golden Boot winner when he joined, May arrived with plenty of expectations. The striker scored 16 goals and made eight assists in 44 League One games for Blues – a decent return. He tailed off in periods, though, not scoring as consistently as he would’ve liked.

Lyndon Dykes 6/10: Another who hasn’t hit the heights hoped of him, Dykes has struggled with injuries. The Scotland international hardly started in League One, scoring just once. He did net twice in the Vertu Trophy run, though, including the brilliant headed winner against Bradford City to send Blues to Wembley.

Jay Stansfield 8/10: Birmingham’s record signing, who cost around £13 million plus add-ons, has continued his fine progression and should be an important player in the Championship next term. The former Fulham man was Blues’ top scorer with 19 goals in League One.

Loanees

Luke Harris 6/10: Definitely talented but not quite good enough to be a regular starter, Harris perhaps joined the wrong club on loan. The Fulham man accumulated 1,576 minutes, scoring four times. He’ll be heading back to his parent club and isn’t expected to sign again.

Taylor Gardner-Hickman 8/10: Signed from Bristol City, on loan initially but now confirmed to be joining permanently, Gardner-Hickman has been a terrific addition. The former West Bromwich Albion man is so versatile and has helped Davies out in many instances when injuries have taken hold, playing in midfield, at right-back and even on the left wing.

Alfons Sampsted 6/10: Unable to make much of an impact just yet, Sampsted has been behind Ethan Laird and Gardner-Hickman in the right-back pecking order. The Icelander is joining for the long term from FC Twente, though, so hopefully he can make his mark next season.

Kieran Dowell 8/10: A superb January addition from Rangers, Dowell added some impetus to Birmingham’s attacks with his creativity. His form did drop off a little at one stage, but five goals and four assists in 19 League One games was just the impact Blues were hoping for.

Ben Davies 9/10: Last but certainly not least, Davies, the manager’s namesake and third Rangers man on this list, has been exceptional for Blues. Originally signed to create competition for Krystian Bielik at left centre-back, Davies ended up making that spot his own and formed a formidable partnership with Klarer. Blues are understood to be keen on signing Davies permanently, but no agreement has been reached.

Do you agree with Birmingham World’s ratings? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.