'Contact made' - Birmingham City challenging West Brom to sign 'rapid' £15m-rated Premier League gem

Birmingham City have reportedly joined local rivals West Bromwich Albion in the race to sign a Premier League wonderkid on loan.

Blues are eager to bolster their forward ranks - particularly on the wings - as they seek to move into Championship play-off contention in their first season back in the English second tier. Manager Chris Davies did a remarkable job to lead Birmingham to a world record-breaking 111-point season in League One but the task is now to go on and reach the Premier League as soon as possible.

To help them achieve that, Football Insider reports Birmingham are targeting an ambitious loan swoop for Tottenham Hotspur prospect Mikey Moore. Blues are said to have made contact with Spurs to register an interest in signing the teenage winger. West Brom are also keen, however, as Birmingham World revealed last week that new Baggies boss Ryan Mason is eager to bring his former colleague to The Hawthorns.

Moore, just 17 years of age, racked up over 1,000 minutes at senior level for Spurs last season, including 361 in the Premier League. The left winger, a nine-time England Under-19 international, started the two final league fixtures of the season against Crystal Palace and Aston Villa before watching on from the sidelines as his side clinched the Europa League title against Manchester United in Bilbao.

Such an exciting prospect is expected to be of great use to Spurs in the future but incoming new manager Thomas Frank may decide it’s best to loan him out for guaranteed starts. The Championship could be the perfect level for Moore to develop and get used to the physicality of the English game.

Hordes of clubs are bound to jump at the opportunity if Moore does get listed for loan but West Brom could arguably be the favourites due to Mason’s presence. The pair already know each other well and the relationship between the Albion and Spurs hierarchies is strong.

The Baggies need a new left winger following Grady Diangana’s departure. Mikey Johnston impressed at times last season - and the campaign before that on loan - but wasn’t anywhere near consistent enough. Having another option in Moore would be very useful and the teenager could even shift over to the opposite flank if required as he’s capable of playing there.

Birmingham could also be a terrific destination, though, so West Brom should be wary. The project at St Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park is incredibly alluring and players are bound to want to write their names in Blues’ history books, much like at fellow newly-promoted side Wrexham. There’s also a better opportunity to build a worldwide reputation at Birmingham given the club’s growing fanbase in the United States – and the incoming Amazon Prime documentary.

Moore would be ready to start for both West Brom and Birmingham immediately, no doubt. Before joining up with the senior squad, the winger contributed a remarkable 19 goals and 13 assists in 24 matches for Spurs’ under-18 side, adding a further two goals and two assists in five games for the under-21 team. Quick, agile, creative, skilful and more than capable of finding the back of the net, Moore could be a shrewd season-long addition.