Medical completed for new Birmingham City signing, £11m Aston Villa star to depart on loan

Blues are expected to announce the acquisition of Rangers defender Ben Davies on a season-long loan with an option to buy.

It’s understood that the former Preston North End man passed his medical and completed the formalities at Birmingham City Elite Performance and Innovation Centre on Friday. All that awaits is an announcement for Davies to become the 13th signing of the summer transfer window.

Manager Chris Davies will be delighted to get his namesake through the door as he will add depth and experience at centre-back and left-back. Ben Davies played 37 times during his debut season with Rangers but saw his game time dramatically decrease over the two most recent campaigns.

A move to Birmingham acts as a brilliant opportunity for the 29-year-old to reignite his career. Davies was excellent for Preston in the Championship for several years after emerging through the North End’s youth academy. He played 145 times for the Deepdale club before a move to Liverpool which resulted in a loan to Sheffield United.

Aston Villa agree to let winger depart

In other West Midlands transfer news, Blues’ bitter rivals Aston Villa have decided to loan out Samuel Iling Junior within weeks of his arrival at the club.

Signed from Juventus as part of the deal that saw Douglas Luiz leave for the Old Lady, Iling Junior, worth £11 million as per Transfermarkt, is seen as an option for the future but isn’t in manager Unai Emery’s current plans.

Transfer news specialist Fabrizio Romano reported on Friday night that Iling Junior has been granted permission to travel to Italy ahead of a season-long loan move to Bologna, who will compete in this campaign’s UEFA Champions League. No option or obligation to buy has been included.