How Juninho Bacuna is getting on in Saudi Arabia after Birmingham City exit | OneFootball

Bacuna was one of several departures from St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park after relegation

Juninho Bacuna was one of several departures from Birmingham City last summer as Chris Davies set about rebuilding his squad ahead of the League One campaign.

The Curaçao international had been on Blues' books since January 2022, having signed from Scottish giants, Rangers, for an undisclosed fee which could have reportedly hit the seven-figure mark if all add-ons were met during his time at St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park.

Bacuna immediately became a regular fixture in midfield under Lee Bowyer, before continuing to play an integral role under John Eustace and the five other temporary or permanent managers who took charge in a chaotic season which culminated in relegation on the final day of the season, despite a 1-0 victory over Norwich City.

In total, the former Huddersfield Town man would don the Royal Blue on a total of 111 occasions, scoring 13 goals, with the pick of the bunch being a thunderbolt from 25 yards out in a 2-0 success against Hull City at the MKM Stadium back in October 2022.

With it looking like a formality as to when Birmingham will regain their Championship status at the first time of asking, Football League World looks at how Bacuna has fared since leaving the club, as he joined Saudi Pro League side, Al-Wehda on August 28th.

Juninho Bacuna's exit from Birmingham City

After putting pen-to-paper in B9, the 35-time international agreed a three-and-a-half-year contract at the club, which would have expired at the end of the current season.

Despite a season of tumultuous fortunes after the takeover of Knighthead Capital Management, Bacuna still ended the season with a double-figure goal tally across all competitions, as well as laying on six assists for his teammates.

Unsurprisingly, interest was somewhat rife for his services after relegation, with Serie A outfit Sassuolo and Turkish Süper Lig outfits Sivasspor - who would go on to sign Alex Pritchard from Blues - and Gaziantep, all interested.

Although it seemed likely that the former of the Turkish sides would be Bacuna's next destination amid confirmation of his long-term future away from the club from Davies following a pre-season friendly with Solihull Moors, a deal never came to fruition.

In late August, it was confirmed that a two-year deal with the Saudi club was in place despite Hannover 96's best attempts to hijack said move, before the former FC Groningen man would agree the deal with the Mecca-based side, although he may live to regret that decision in the weeks to come.

Al-Wehda have struggled in Juninho Bacuna's first season

Despite the riches associated with the Saudi Pro League, which has been able to attract the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Sadio Mané and Jhon Duran among many other stars, Bacuna will feel a potential tinge of regret from a playing perspective, with 'Al Mared Al Ahmar' currently inside the relegation zone.

The 27-year-old, who sparked controversy just weeks before his exit from the West Midlands when pictured in a pair of Aston Villa shorts belonging to his older brother and former Villan, Leandro, is said to be earning a weekly salary of £40,000, but hasn't had the desired impact despite another revolving door of managers, with Jose Daniel Carreno currently in the hotseat.

Bacuna made his debut with a 33-minute cameo in a 2-1 win against Al-Orobah on the same day his transfer was confirmed, before going on to eventually score his first goal for the club in a defeat by the same scoreline against Al-Qadsiah two months later.

The former Blues man would then net his first league goal three days afterwards in defeat to Al-Shabab, before a mixed run of starts and substitute appearances as Josef Zinnbauer was dismissed and replaced by Carreno.

The versatile midfielder would play his best game for the club prior to the March international break with a goal and assist for Youseff Amyn after returning to his most natural, deep-lying position at the base of midfield.

Regardless of his club's struggles, with Al-Wehda currently two points from safety with nine matches remaining, Bacuna has continued to be a key performer for Curaçao as he notched five goals and assisted twice in their successful CONCACAF Nations League B campaign against Saint Lucia, Grenada and Saint Martin.

This was reflected by a bundle of Instagram posts when on duty for the island nation, with none relating to club matters since his move to the Middle East.

It will remain a mystery as to how Bacuna would have impacted what has been a stellar season for his former side, with the likes of Paik Seung-Ho and Tomoki Iwata continuing to earn rave reviews, and those thoughts may play on his mind with back-to-back relegations on his CV a distinct possibility.