Birmingham City 'very close' to landing 'huge coup' before transfer deadline

Birmingham City are reportedly closing in on the signing of Sunderland midfielder Alex Pritchard, with a two-and-a-half-year deal said to be agreed.

The 30-year-old's Black Cats future has been in doubt for several weeks and things came to a head last week as he refused to play against Stoke City. Former Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray has now swept in for a reunion with the playmaker, offering a route out with the exciting project unfolding at St Andrew's Stadium.

Sunderland Nation reports Pritchard, who will get a "significant pay rise", has agreed terms on a deal that will keep him at Birmingham until June 2027. All that remains, it's claimed, is for the two clubs to finalise compensation of £100,000 as Pritchard still has six months left on his contract at the Stadium of Light.

If the report is to be believed, Birmingham will land a huge coup before the transfer deadline. Pritchard has been a key player for Sunderland ever since signing from Huddersfield Town in 2021. Success has been rife, with promotion to the Championship and then qualification for the play-offs achieved the very next season.

Pritchard, who started at Tottenham Hotspur, has accumulated 48 goals and 66 assists in 359 career appearances to date. Predominantly a number 10 but capable of playing anywhere in midfield or even in attack, the former England Under-21 international will likely help propel Blues up the table if they can get this done.