Birmingham City transfer plan ‘already set out’ for versatile Leeds United star

Birmingham City will have the opportunity to sign Cody Drameh permanently from Leeds United as the versatile defender won't be offered a new deal at Elland Road.

Drameh's Leeds contract expires on June 30, just a month after his Birmingham loan concludes, and the decision to not renew has already been set out. Many would assume he'd become a free agent but as he's under 23, compensation is due. It's unknown how much Blues would be expected to pay the Lilywhites but a fee is a necessity.

The 22-year-old has played 28 times for Birmingham across all competitions, following on from two games with Leeds earlier in the campaign. Before that, Drameh had a successful six-month loan at Luton Town, helping the Hatters achieve promotion to the Premier League via the Sky Bet Championship play-offs.

Predominantly a right-back but capable of playing on the left or in the centre, Drameh could be a useful permanent addition for Blues. He's not exactly set the world alight but he's been a regular starter and handy when injuries and suspensions have cropped up.

Inconsistencies have surfaced occasionally but that's to be expected when turning out under four different managers. Drameh, much like the rest of the squad, has shown signs of struggling to deal with the different philosophies of John Eustace, Wayne Rooney, Tony Mowbray and Mark Venus over such a short period.

Continuity next campaign could help Drameh's case. It's just about convincing the player he can gain that at St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park rather than searching elsewhere. Staying in the Championship is an obvious non-negotiable, too.