'Deal agreed' - Birmingham City and Wrexham miss out as £13.5m-rated target seals life-changing move

Birmingham City and Wrexham AFC may have to look elsewhere as the recently promoted pair have reportedly missed out on an ambitious transfer target.

Heading into the Championship next season following their first and second-placed finishes in League One, Blues and Wrexham are eager to strengthen their squads to remain as competitive as possible. Birmingham are likelier to head straight into play-off contention than the Red Dragons are but it’s feasible to suggest both teams could be up there thanks to their spending power and growing reputations.

Big-money transfers are viable and Premier League stars are being eyed in a bid to compete for promotion. Free agents are the main route Blues and Wrexham are considering to start with, though, with many top-class players available for nothing. One free agent target the two ambitious clubs were chasing is set to no longer be available, however, as he has reportedly agreed a move abroad.

Football League World reports Birmingham and Wrexham were keeping close tabs on versatile Burnley defender CJ Egan-Riley and were preparing approaches to sign him upon the expiry of his contract later this month. French Ligue 1 side are said to have jumped in quicker, however, agreeing personal terms with the 22-year-old to bring him to the Stade de la Meinau.

Egan-Riley, a current England Under-21 international, started 40 of 46 league games last season as Burnley finished second in the Championship, earning automatic promotion to the Premier League. Across all competitions, the Manchester City academy product, who has a current value of £13.5 million as per Transfermarkt, played 39 times at centre-back and twice at right-back.

You’d think staying at Burnley would be the best option considering their rise to the Premier League but Egan-Riley reportedly favours the move to Strasbourg, where he will join up with former Hull City head coach Liam Rosenior. The eastern French club finished seventh in Ligue 1 last season, clinching a spot in the UEFA Europa Conference League qualifiers.

It was always going to be ambitious for Birmingham and Wrexham to lure a player of Egan-Riley’s calibre into heading back to the Championship but both projects are proving to be very attractive to players. Although the 22-year-old won’t be joining either side, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if other players of a similar reputation take the leap of faith.

How active will Birmingham be in the summer transfer window?

Despite winning the League One title in emphatic style with a world record 111-point tally, Birmingham still see room for improvement and will be active. The current squad would probably be strong enough to compete for the play-offs if a good run is put together, but manager Chris Davies has the financial backing to go one step further if he wishes.

It’s a pivotal summer for Birmingham as they seek to move one step closer to the Premier League. Plenty of new signings can be expected and there will be the odd departure here and there to make room. It’ll be tough to say farewell to some of those who helped Blues rise back to the second tier, but that’s just the nature of football.

One signing has already been agreed, with central defender Phil Neumann joining on a free transfer upon the expiry of his Hannover 96 contract. The German is expected to start alongside Player of the Season winner Christoph Klarer.

Another addition is possible soon, with Kwame Poku in talks to join from Peterborough United. Just like Neumann, the winger would join without a transfer fee as his Posh contract expires on June 30. Blues are eager to improve on the right flank and Poku would fill that void effectively.

The midfield pairing of Tomoki Iwata and Paik Seung-ho should hold in the Championship but Birmingham are understood to be drawing up a shortlist of players who can provide strong competition. Then there’s a desire to sign a new striker, with Alfie May and Lyndon Dykes likely to fall down the pecking order.

Who would you like to see Birmingham sign this summer? Let us know in the comments section below.