The landmark £8m signing who could turbocharge Birmingham City's Premier League promotion bid

Birmingham City could land a mega attacking signing to make their Premier League promotion dreams a reality.

The summer transfer window is now upon us and Birmingham City are set to utilise the months ahead to get the squad in perfect nick for a second successive promotion push.

Chris Davies’ side blew away the competition in League One last season, winning the title with ease and recording an extraordinary 111-point finish. Not only was that enough to demolish the League One and EFL records, but it was sufficient to clinch a spot in the world record books.

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Birmingham’s squad was clearly in terrific shape to achieve so much last term but everyone involved knows the Championship will be a completely different kettle of fish. Davies and the club hierarchy are planning accordingly, seeking to improve in most areas of the field to give Blues the best possible chance of being promoted to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

It’s understood that Blues have already agreed a deal to sign Brighton & Hove Albion youngster James Beadle on loan to sort out the goalkeeper position. That signing will only be the start, though, as Birmingham are understood to be targeting another centre-back, a central midfielder, a left winger, an attacking midfielder and a striker at the least. A long summer lies ahead, but an exciting one.

Birmingham could boost Premier League promotion bid with £8m swoop

Who exactly could Blues turn their attention to next, then? Well, Birmingham World has been taking a look at a few options for the left wing position in particular and one player stands out above all else. His name? Demarai Gray.

Already familiar with Birmingham having started his career at St Andrew’s, the 28-year-old has been at Saudi Pro League club Al-Ettifaq for the past two seasons but has reportedly requested a transfer away. Give Me Sport claims Gray feels homesick and wants to return to England. Blues are said to be keen and have already contacted Al-Ettifaq over a potential deal.

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There could be competition from Premier League club Sunderland as they hold historical interest. The report states the Black Cats are yet to inform Al-Ettifaq of their intention to make a move, however. It’s claimed the Saudi outfit are seeking around £8 million to let Gray leave as he still has two years left on his contract.

Predominantly a left winger but also capable of playing out on the right, Gray has top-flight pedigree and is still in the best years of his career. The 22-time Jamaica international is a Premier League winner as he played 12 times during Leicester City’s historic 2015/16 campaign and he even ventured to the Bundesliga to play for Bayer Leverkusen for the second half of the 2020/21 season.

Across spells at Leicester and Everton, Gray has made 200 Premier League appearances throughout his career, scoring 19 goals and providing 14 assists. The Blues academy product also played five times in the UEFA Champions League throughout 2016/17.

Although many of Gray’s best achievements were quite some time ago, he still possesses great pace and flair. His goalscoring output may have slowed over the past few seasons and he’s not exactly hit the ground running in Saudi Arabia, but a drop down to the Championship could suit him perfectly.

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Birmingham need a new left winger, after all, and Gray would surely be a significant upgrade on Emil Hansson, whom the jury is still out on. The £8 million fee may seem a little hefty but there may be some wiggle room for negotiation. Gray would need to lower his wages to complete a move to Blues, but he’s the one pushing for a move to England, so he’ll probably be willing.

Would you like to see Gray complete a romantic return to Birmingham this summer? Let us know in the comments section.

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