5 free agents Birmingham City could seal bargain transfers for this summer | OneFootball

There will be plenty of bargains for a team like Birmingham to pick up in the summer

The January transfer window has only just closed, but for teams like Birmingham City, attention will already be turning to summer plans.

The Blues are flying high at the top of League One and, thanks to their well-assembled and expensive squad, are favourites to bounce back up to the Championship at the first time of asking.

But splashing the cash doesn’t mean every deal needs an expensive transfer fee attached to it, and there will be plenty of free agents that the Midlands club could look at in the summer — especially if they’re willing to reinvest any transfer fee savings into the wages of players to attract them to the club.

Here, Football League World looks at five free agents Birmingham could look at in the summer when their contracts expire...

Emil Krafth

Birmingham felt the need to bolster their defensive ranks in January and added Grant Hanley to their backline on a short-term deal.

At 33 years old, while experienced, there’s no guarantee Hanley makes the jump with Birmingham to the Championship should they get promoted.

That departure would leave a gap in the defensive unit, and one quality candidate to fill that vacancy could be Newcastle United’s Emil Krafth.

He’s been injured for much of this season but, in truth, has been a secondary figure at St James’ Park for some time now — with his contract expiring, it’d be a shock to see his time extended.

While he’s not been a main figure for Eddie Howe’s side, he arrives with plenty of top-level experience, can provide cover at centre-back and right-back, and is only 30 years old so should have a few peak years left in him.

Jordan Houghton

Plymouth Argyle are suffering a similar season to the Blues last season and relegation from the Championship is a real possibility.

Should the worst happen, players may look to stay in the division and one of those, if Birmingham get promoted, could be defensive midfielder Jordan Houghton.

He’s fallen slightly out of favour with the Pilgrims this season but appeared 40 times as the club avoided relegation last season.

Whilst Blues have the likes of Paik Seung-ho and Tomoki Iwata in the middle of the park, some more EFL and Championship experience wouldn't go amiss for depth, and with his know-how of the division and battling to stay in it, Houghton may be an ideal low-cost option to provide some extra cover.

Nathan Redmond

Birmingham are relatively short on wingers compared to other positions so, to give Chris Davies the greatest options when selecting shape and formations, some extra cover here may be useful.

Nathan Redmond has made just a handful of appearances since arriving at Burnley in 2023 and is due to be out of contract this summer, if his optional year isn’t activated, which seems unlikely given Burnley are in the mix to go back up to the Premier League.

Reaching the twilight of his career, Redmond would provide bags of experience to hand out to the younger elements of Birmingham’s squad, provide back up in a key position and it would also be a nice way to tie off his career, having begun his senior years with the Blues.

Rhian Brewster

Rhian Brewster’s five-year contract at Sheffield United is to expire this season and it seems unlikely to be renewed, given he’s netted just seven goals in that time.

Given those stats, he’s unlikely to have suitors falling over each other to agree a deal, but there is a player in there, as obviously spotted by the Blades.

Not only would the deal be cheap by way of him arriving on a free transfer, but the Blues are unlikely to have to pay over the odds for his wage as there’s unlikely to be tonnes of opposition.

A short deal on a reasonable wage may look a masterstroke further down the line if they are the club to unlock his talent.

Vitezslav Jaros

Vitezslav Jaros got his first taste of Premier League football this season with Liverpool, but with Alisson in place, the future of strong deputy Caoimhin Kelleher unconfirmed and Giorgi Mamardashvili on the way in the summer, now, at 23 years old, it may be the time for Jaros to go and find first-team football.

Birmingham are not exactly short in the goalkeeping department, but Jaros may come as a market opportunity that the Blues don’t want to pass up on. His limited Premier League experience makes him unlikely to find a solid starting berth in the top tier, and Birmingham, if they got promoted, would be an exciting project.

He’s appeared for the senior Czechia national team, has European experience and experience in other divisions in England below the Premier League.

Should he want to stay in England, Birmingham may be well-placed to capitalise on his situation and offer a path to first-team football — a low-cost deal for a high-quality player.