"I’m excited" - Reaction given as Birmingham City push to sign 25-year-old midfielder | OneFootball

FLW’s Blues fan pundit is cautiously optimistic about Fujimoto addition

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

After storming back to the Championship with a record-breaking 111-point season, Birmingham City aren’t wasting time.

With promotion secured and momentum high, attention has quickly turned to building a Blues squad that can not only survive at the next level - but thrive.

The latest name linked is Japanese attacking midfielder Kanya Fujimoto, with reports from Portugal suggesting that talks are already at an advanced stage.

At 25, Fujimoto arrives with over 150 games of experience in Liga Portugal, a creative engine in a struggling Gil Vicente side, and a profile that seems to align perfectly with Chris Davies’ tactical blueprint.

Birmingham City transfer talk: why Fujimoto could thrive under Chris Davies

Football League World spoke with resident Birmingham City fan pundit Aaron Bastable on Fujimoto, and whether he’d be an exciting addition at St. Andrews.

“So with Fujimoto, it’s a little bit hard to get too excited because he’s such an unknown.” Bastable told FLW.

“Now based on the stats - the team that he’s playing for, he’s the third top scorer, got the most assists, and he’s got ten goal contributions in the league for a team that are fifth from bottom, so he’s not exactly playing for a massive club and I did see somewhere that outside of players playing for the big three or Braga he has made the most big chances created.

“So he looks like a technical player, very creative, and with him being left footed playing on the right or in the 10, he’s basically going to fill the Kieran Dowell sized hole in our team, because Kieran Dowell was obviously only on loan from Rangers, and out of him and Ben Davies, he looks the less likely one to want to re-sign, whenever he’s been asked he’s been a bit, you know, skeptical.

“So this lad coming in who looks like he’d be part and parcel swap, made to match, because they’re both left footed, both technical, both high output chances created, and with the way we play with effectively two number 10s and our manager likes them both to be inverted, so the right winger is effectively a second 10 who’s left footed, so in terms of the system it just makes a lot of sense.

“So in that way I’m excited, but because I’ve really never watched too much of him it’s hard to say too much before we see him play. But in terms of fit - on paper - it fits perfectly.”

Fujimoto signing would be a statement of intent from Championship-bound Birmingham City

While Fujimoto might not be the most headline-grabbing name of the summer, there’s a growing sense that Birmingham could be quietly pulling off one of the savvier deals of the window.

With no transfer fee involved and a creative profile that seems tailor-made for Chris Davies’ system, this is a move that feels considered rather than speculative.

For fans, the excitement may be tempered by unfamiliarity - but the logic is hard to ignore. A high-output left-footer who thrives in tight spaces, Fujimoto could bring balance and invention to a Birmingham side built on attacking fluidity.

Zooming out, Fujimoto’s potential arrival also hints at a broader strategy. The addition of another Japanese player continues a quiet trend at St Andrew’s, and reinforces a vision of Birmingham City that’s increasingly global in scope, and increasingly bold in execution.

Promotion was step one. Now the task is assembling a squad capable of competing in the Championship with intent - and Fujimoto might just be the kind of under-the-radar addition that helps elevate this project from promising to purposeful.