One winner and one loser as defender undergoes Birmingham City medical | OneFootball

Birmingham City are closing in on the signing of Grant Hanley from Norwich City.

Birmingham City are closing in on the signing of experienced defender Grant Hanley, with the Norwich City man having undergone a medical ahead of the switch.

The Scotland international will be well-known to Blues fans, as he has plenty of EFL experience, having turned out for Blackburn and Newcastle prior to joining the Canaries.

Grant Hanley expected to join Birmingham City

However, with his contract expiring in the summer, Hanley was facing an uncertain future, and it has been reported that the 33-year-old is in advanced talks about joining Blues.

He will bring additional experience and strength to the Birmingham defensive unit, and Hanley will hope to get more game time having struggled for minutes at Norwich recently.

Winner: Chris Davies

This isn’t the most eye-catching transfer move that Blues have made under the ownership, but it’s another example of the board backing boss Chris Davies big time.

Hanley is a player who has spent his entire career in the top two divisions of English football, and he has won 59 caps for his country, so there’s no denying this is a coup for Blues.

The defender is sure to be commanding a big salary, and for Davies to get a player like that to beef up his squad is something he will certainly appreciate from those above him. Other owners may have been reluctant to sign someone in an area of the pitch where Blues already have good players, but the ambition is showing once again.

Birmingham are in a great position as they look to bounce back to the Championship at the first attempt and Hanley is going to help in their quest to win the league with his leadership and quality.

Loser: Ben Davies

The defender hasn’t done much wrong since joining on loan from Rangers in the summer, and it’s by no means certain that he will lose his place in the XI.

But, Hanley’s arrival will certainly put more pressure on Davies, as Hanley was sitting on Norwich’s bench in the Championship, so it’s unlikely he wants to do the same at St. Andrew’s.

And, if he does play, you would imagine that Davies would drop out of the side, meaning Hanley could partner Christoph Klarer at the heart of the defence.

Obviously, competition for places is a good thing, and the head coach will hope that Hanley’s arrival will help drive standards up even more. So, the challenge for Davies is to respond in the right manner, and he will need to keep impressing if he wants to retain the shirt.