'Offer expected soon' as Birmingham City battle Bundesliga trio for £4.1m-rated midfielder

Birmingham are reportedly one of several clubs interested in signing FC Heidenheim defensive midfielder Lennard Maloney this January.

Blues are already well stocked in the centre of the park with Paik Seung-ho and Tomoki Iwata among the best in League One but Chris Davies is said to be keen on adding another jewel to his collection.

Sky Sport Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg reports Birmingham and Greek giants PAOK are “showing concrete interest” in a winter transfer for Maloney but face competition from three Bundesliga clubs, who are already “engaged in concrete talks”. Offers are said to be “expected soon” with Maloney’s future set to be resolved.

Twice an appearance maker for the US Men’s National Team (USMNT), Maloney has been a regular starter for Heidenheim throughout the past two and a half seasons. The 25-year-old has racked up 85 appearances for the German club so far, scoring two goals and making two assists.

Maloney’s best achievement to date was earning promotion to the German top flight by winning the Bundesliga 2 title in 2022/23, while he was also crowned CONCACAF Nations League champion with the USA last year. That sort of experience could be pivotal in Birmingham’s fight for instant promotion back to the Championship.

It’s difficult to imagine Davies dropping Paik or Iwata as the pair have been so formidable for Blues so far this campaign but Maloney certainly warrants a starting place with his ability. A more defensive-minded player than the other two, the Berlin native could allow Davies to make a switch to a three-man midfield.

Maloney not the only player in Germany being targeted by Birmingham

Blues enjoyed their recent scouting missions in Germany and so much so that they are expected to imminently complete a signing from the nation. It was reported by The Mirror on Monday (January 6) that Neumann’s transfer is “done and should be announced very shortly”.

It awaits to be seen just how much the centre-half will cost but his contract at Hannover was due to expire in June, so it’s likely the fee will be less than what was offered a few months ago.

Neumann has been a powerhouse for German second-tier club Hannover ever since signing from Holstein Keil in 2022, making 81 appearances in his two and a half years to date. Capable of playing at centre-half, right-back or even defensive midfield, the 27-year-old could offer Blues great versatility.

Hannover are currently seventh in Bundesliga 2 but sit just four points away from league leaders Koln, so Neumann has swapped a potential promotion or title in Germany in favour of one in England.

The arrival of Neumann could spell the end of Dion Sanderson’s career at St Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park. The ex-skipper has already fallen to fourth in the centre-back pecking order and he’d only become more dispensable if he dropped to fifth.

As Neumann is comfortable playing as an inverted full-back, his arrival could perhaps allow Krystian Bielik to move back into the centre next to Christoph Klarer. It would be harsh to bench Ben Davies, perhaps, but the competition is fierce.